LAST WEEK TODAY: IMAGINE THAT

Missing sponsorship news?

Check out the blog every Monday for a weekly roundup of the past week's most exciting and industry-altering news. These stories cover October 8-14, 2018.

What do you find is the best way to garner attention to your campaign? Big names, like some of the stories below, have it easy - rights holders and other brand follow their moves in the hopes of finding a great parter. But even they have to innovate: when Cheetos launched in 1948, we can't imagine anyone thought there'd be restaurants based off the snack. Similarly, only in the past ten years have we seen collaboration concerts like iHeartRadio's Jingle Balls entertain on a national level (and so devoid of holiday music!) Over 40 years ago when Lella Lombardi was the first woman to earn points in a Formula 1 grand prix, did anyone imagine there would be a women's development league for motorsports?

1. Two exciting stories in experiential marketing popped up last week:
   • First off, with Walgreens' stake in Birchbox, the retailer will literally put up a pop up at 11 stores featuring the beauty brand.
   • Meanwhile, Cheetos brand is popping up in the most unlikely of places: "fine" dining. Going off last year's NYC success, Flamin' Hot opened in LA in September.
2. The NFL is in full swing, and soon the London games will start (Oct. 14). But will we see a team based in London sooner rather than later?
3. Steph Curry now has competition at Under Armour. Joel Embiid made the official switch from Adidas to UA last week; part of the deal is a signature shoe.
4. Women are pushing for larger roles in sport in a myriad of ways. Two made the news last week:
   • St. Louis is pushing for an MLS franchise, and the ownership bid is being run by a majority-female bid.
   • The 'W Series' will be launching in 2019 in an identical cars to Formula 3 at some of Europe's most famous tracks, with plans to expand to other continents in the future. This project aims to re-introduce women to F1, where it's been over four decades since a woman competed.
5. Holiday blockbuster concerts are making their return soon. One of America's largest holiday concert series - iHeartRadio's Jingle Ball - announced its sponsors last week. It's an impressive list including Capital One, The CW, and Macy's, among others.
6. Check out our newest category analysis, posted last Thursday. It's been making the rounds, and we think you'll benefit from knowing what's going on in airline sponsorship.
7. We featured Goodyear on our weekly series #SponsorSpotlight last week. Here are the two most popular stories:
   • Two years ago, Goodyear renewed its title sponsorship deal for the Cotton Bowl, one of the official College Football Playoff series games.
   • Also in 2016, and also in the football sphere, Goodyear signed a deal with the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Did we miss any? Tweet @be_tandem - we hate being behind the times just as much as you do.

Look out next Monday for the usual round-up on sponsorship news.