Wonder Bread Takes Center Stage During Talladega Nights:  The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

         ANN ARBOR, MI, August 7, 2006 – Will Farrell’s NASCAR-themed comedy Talladega Nights:  The Ballad of Ricky Bobby opened number one at the box office, allowing the fictitious racing hero’s corporate sponsor, Wonder Bread, to earn nearly $4.3 million of exposure value during the film’s opening weekend. 

          According to research conducted by Joyce Julius and Associates, which specializes in measuring the impact of sponsorships and promotions across all forms of media, the Wonder Bread logo appeared clear and in-focus for 11 minutes, 32 seconds (11:32), while the brand was also mentioned on two occasions by the actors.  The opening-weekend exposure value for Wonder Bread is calculated by comparing the estimated number of people who saw the film, along with the on-screen time and mentions to the cost of reaching the same size audience through traditional advertising.

          Other brands enjoying significant product placements during the racing spoof included Perrier (2:29/$894,000)--the sponsor of Bobby’s racing nemesis Jean Girard--as well as Old Spice, POWERade and Applebee’s.

          The following table provides a breakdown of the various locations Wonder Bread was monitored during Talladega Nights and the corresponding exposure value accrued during the opening weekend.

                                                                                                                                        Opening Weekend

Source                                                              On-Screen Time                            Exposure Value

          The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Joyce Julius and has been measuring the media impact and fan perceptions of corporate sponsorships in sports and entertainment since 1985. 

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