The Philadelphia Inquirer

August 16, 2006

Ferrell's film is no put-on, but it's paying off

Will Ferrell claimed that he didn't intend to poke fun at NASCAR in his latest movie, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

But now it seems that everyone involved with the project is laughing all the way to the bank.

Along with dominating box-office sales since its nationwide release on Aug. 4, the film provided nearly $4.3 million worth of exposure over the premiere weekend for Wonder Bread - the sponsor of lead character Ricky Bobby's car - according to Joyce Julius and Associates Inc.

The firm, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., has measured the impact of sponsorship and promotions across all forms of media since 1985.

During the movie, Wonder Bread's logo appeared clear and in focus for 11 minutes, 32 seconds, and the product was mentioned twice by the actors. Additionally, Perrier - primary sponsor on the car of Bobby's nemesis - totaled 2:29 of screen time, which was worth $894,000, according to Joyce Julius.

The figures were calculated by comparing the estimated number of viewers, the on-screen time that the product was visible or mentioned, and the amount of money it would cost to reach an audience of that size through traditional advertising.

At racetracks across the country, memorabilia from the film has been on sale at souvenir haulers parked alongside those of real Nextel Cup teams.  Now the craze has hit eBay. Four race cars that were used in the filming are being auctioned off, with proceeds benefiting Variety's Kids: The Children's Charity and the NASCAR Foundation...