Dan Cirucci: Here's Why They Can't Say 'Super Bowl'

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Here's Why They Can't Say 'Super Bowl'

Why do retailers simply call it the "Big Game"?
Why don't they say "Super Bowl"?
Well, a nice column at Yahoo Sports gives the answer. In part, here's how it's explained:

Advertisers pay huge amounts of money to become an official sponsor of the NFL. In doing so, they buy the right to use league logos, game footage, branding and the trademarked phrases "Super Bowl" and "Super Sunday." Companies that don't pay the premium resort to "ambush marketing" to get around this, hence generic phrases like "big game" and the use of non-NFL jerseys and game footage.
How much does it cost to become an official sponsor? It varies depending on the product, but for big advertisers the price can be astronomical. Anheuser-Busch is reportedly paying $1.2 billion over the next six years to become the exclusive beer of the NFL. The deal doesn't give advertising exclusivity to Budweiser (you'll see commercials from Miller Lite and Coors as well), but the Anheuser-Busch ads will be the only ones that can use NFL imagery and trademarks.
The NFL is vigilant in protecting its copyrighted phrases. Some small, local retailers may sneak by using "Super Sunday" in an ad, but generally the league's team of lawyers is successful in finding rogue advertisers and shutting them down with a cease and desist letter.

So, now you know.
Only official corporate sponsors can use the words "Super Bowl" or "Super Sunday" in advertising.
This is America. It's all about the money, baby.

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About Dan Cirucci

He has been cited by Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed on radio, TV and in social media.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, Matt Rooney's sidekick on Save Jersey's videocasts and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.

Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.

Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post and other publications.

A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.

He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.

In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Cirucci's passions include politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel.

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