Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Non-pro Has Good Slogan...how To Pitch Nascar

Posted by Anonymous on 6/23/2008 at 4:58 PM ET 250 Points
I have what I believe is a great slogan for nascar, along the lines of "How bad have you got it?" Is there a way to trademark or pitch it to an ad agency or directly to nascar? What is a great line worth. I can already see the commercials and have some ideas for them. Any help is much appreciated as I am just a car guy with a creative mind. Thanks, Mike
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  • Posted by bruce on 6/23/2008 at 6:35 PM Accepted
    I'm a North Carolina-based International IMS Consultancy, and I believe you do have a good idea with your slogan. I've been trying to break into that closed "family-owned" shop for more than 15 years and only got close once when my Agency did a promotion for RJ Reynolds Tobacco in 1993 when it was the NASCAR Winston Circuit.

    The first thing you must do, regardless of whom your client may be, is always spell their name correctly. This is the still the old Ad world, and as much as they may be trying to attract Generation X, Y, Z consumers in their brand advertising, you're not going to get anywhere quickly with what I refer to as "tex-mess" spelling.

    As long as the Boomer-consumer is still giving and controlling the Ad briefs on these type of accounts, you have to play by their rules, and in their vernacular and idiom. But times are changing and they know that as well.

    Your best shot is getting into the minds of the creative departments of the Ad agencies which control the NASCAR co-Brand for Sprint, Nationwide and Craftsman, their three primary race campaign sponsors.

    As a young entrepreneur, I was able to break into the European Formula 1 sponsorship circles by hanging out at the Owner's boxes and in the race track Pits schmoozing with them and buying "free" drinks for them. It worked.

    If you can break into their relationship circle, by hook or crook, and they accept you as one of their own, think you know what your talking about, or just like hanging out with you, your more than half way there.

    Consumer advertising in the racing world is ultimately a "trust game," even with all the research metrics we have available today. And if they trust you, you will get the opportunity to pitch your creative concepts, trust me. But in this day and age, unlike my own where "Who you knew" was usually enough, those days are over. Now, it's the "What and Whom" you know.

    Get busy, because I sense you have the "What," and now you just need to get in front of the "Who."
  • Posted on 6/23/2008 at 10:29 PM Author
    Thanks for the advise so far. I was looking for the non-piracy, non-disclosure language. I am a nurse by profession so I don't know the ad terms. I found the ad agency, and I will call in the morning. I called but they were closed and the message seemed like I might be able to talk to someone there. I'll call an attorney in the morning first.
  • Posted by bruce on 6/24/2008 at 8:09 AM Member
    You can Trademark the slogan, but I wouldn't waste a dime of your hard-earned money on an attorney, or any other professional services, until you have found a sound reason to believe that you could use it to produce income for yourself or your company.

    Even if you were committed to that expenditure, it is unlikely that any one would honor your "ownership" of that phrase.

    With all those creative juices of yours looking for an outlet, find a good agency or better, a good creative team to join with you and start your own. You never know when your concepts will find their way on to the hood of a race car, if that is your true goal
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