Special paint schemes in the Cup Series used to be just that: special. It was a one-time thing, maybe at the All-Star race or perhaps the Bud Shootout. Now, we see untold numbers of paint schemes that cascade across the season, which undermines any effort to be memorable, unique or meaningful.
The confusion of running multiple paint schemes is a problem that will only get worse as teams increasingly rely on many sponsors for each car. By rotating five or six sponsors and paint schemes, the ordinary fan has no idea what to look for each week. Quick - do you know what color Jamie McMurray's car will be this week? Can you guess what sponsor Elliott Sadler's car will have? My bet is unless you are an extreme fan, you have no idea. And that is not good for any of the companies spending millions of dollars to go racing. Will teams and sponsors follow the lead of the No. 5 Hendrick car, where multiple brands work together as a part of a single, universal scheme?
The one-off specials were also used to sell more merchandise and die-cast cars. Based upon the financial gloom facing Motorsports Authentics, it seems only drivers whose name ends in "Earnhardt" truly move product these days.
In case you missed it, Budweiser and the USOC announced that Kasey Kahne will drive a special Olympic-themed paint scheme at the first two races of the 2010 season. The proceeds of the diecast sales will go to the USOC. So, why would I have a negative view of such a well-intentioned cross-promotional program? Tell me, will you buy an Olympic diecast? And will you tune in to look for a white Bud car in the biggest race of 2010? (Seriously, use the "Comments" section to have your say.)
The photo above is the only passable one I could find in an extensive web search (which is another issue altogether). Quick -- tell me how that photo says "Budweiser" in any way? The underwhelming bland design (Oh, I get it... white... snow... winter Olympics) is one thing, but the brand messaging is even worse, which is surprising based on the track record of the good beer folks in St. Louis. Historically, the Bud marketing team fought to keep changes to the look of the car to a minimum each season, relying upon an immediately recognizable design.
The Daytona 500 coincides with the Olympics, so the timing - on first glance - makes sense using racing's biggest stage to promote Bud's sizable USOC investment. The tie-in between the two programs has history, as Bud has run Olympic paint schemes in the past. Dale Jr. ran an Olympic paint scheme at Bristol in August of the 2000 season. However, that scheme merely added flourishes to the recognizable red design.
By running a non-descript car in the event that draws the largest television audience of the 2010 racing season, Budweiser will fail to leverage more than a quarter-century of NASCAR equity. How many will tune-in to see the red number 9 car - only to be forced to search for a plain white car out of a field of 43?
The lessons of 2004 have been forgotten, when Dale Jr. won the 500 with the "Born-on dating" color palette. It was a missed opportunity for Budweiser, not only because it didn't show up well on television, but for many years to come. The iconic, simple and bold red scheme is not associated with a memorable Daytona 500 victory.
To boil it down to the simplest terms, the goal is to make it easy for fans to find your car and your branding on television week after week. Viewers, whether they be die-hards or casual, shouldn't have to search.
Maybe I'm missing something, as the Budweiser sports marketing people have a long track record of doing things very much the right way. Because of that, maybe I'm holding them to a higher standard. Still, this one seems like a swing and a miss.
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According to People.com, Dale Jr. will be a presenter at the CMA Awards. I wonder how much arm-twisting was applied to get him to agree to that appearance? Could it compare with his 2001 appearance at the MTV Music Video Awards? You can read all about that evening (in three parts!) by clicking the link to surf on over to ye olde blog. (Did I mention it's in three parts?)