Chrysler's Ram Truck Sponsorship Delivers during NBC's Kentucky Derby Telecast 

ANN ARBOR, MI, May 9, 2011 -- Chrysler’s Ram Truck re-tooled sponsorship effort at Saturday’s Kentucky Derby led to more than $1.1 million of in-broadcast exposure value for the pickup truck brand throughout NBC’s coverage.

According to research conducted by Joyce Julius & Associates, Inc., which specializes in measuring the scope of sponsorships across all forms of media, Ram logos appeared clear and in-focus for three minutes, 28 seconds (3:28) during NBC’s three-hour telecast, while the brand was also mentioned a half-dozen times, leading to an overall exposure value of $1,105,010.

Joyce Julius calculates television exposure value by comparing the in-broadcast visual and verbal exposure to the estimated cost of a national commercial during the telecast and applying Joyce Julius Recognition Grading—which takes into account such factors as size and placement of the image on screen, as well as brand clutter and integration of the brand into the activity.

The Ram nameplate assumed a more active sponsorship role this year, as the “Official Truck of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby” utilized vehicle displays, work trucks, gate crew staff uniforms, network promotional spots, logoed jockey pants, and even branding on several of the barn roofs surrounding the track.

The most visible brand placement for Ram during the telecast came via the pant leg of the winning jockey John Velazquez aboard Animal Kingdom.  The logo on Velazquez was monitored for 1:30 ($300,960), while the Ram pant leg sponsorships for the bulk of the field produced 1:25 on on-camera time ($137,860.

Meanwhile, 3M’s sponsorship of third-place finisher Mucho Macho Man, which benefited from three verbal mentions and a pre-race serenade by the Village People, concluded the telecast with nearly $328,000 of exposure value.

Altogether, 33 brands appeared visually and/or verbally during NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage.

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