Falling solidly in line with elevator shaft and urinal advertising, the Panthers have unveiled the latest Grand Idea from Sunrise: sponsorship of the offseason.
Undoubtedly seeking positive press in what’s been a tough stretch for parent Toyota, luxury brand Lexus has partnered with the Cats for something hailed as “a fully integrated promotion”. Sounds reasonable.
In essence, everything that goes down with the organization this summer will be prefaced with “The Panthers 4th Period Driven By Lexus” or some such variation. According to the Official Site:
Examples of offseason initiatives include the Panthers Countdown Caravan, Draft Party, free agency transactions and more, which will all be part of the Panthers 4th Period driven by Lexus.
Ummm, “free agency transactions” now have an official sponsor? Will Fujio Cho be joining GM Randy Sexton in making the South Florida pitch to potential signees on July 1st? Granted, Sexy’s gonna need a lot of help on the free agent recruiting front, given what remains in the rear-view mirror, but still…
Hey, we’re all about SSE profitting – and offsetting losses – from the product they finance by selling sponsorships to willing corporate partners, but the inclusion of “free agency transactions” in the announcement is just weird.