Kris Johnson: Aflac-Edwards alliance is just ducky
By Kris Johnson - Associate Editor
Thursday, May 22, 2008
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COMMENTARY
Aren't things just ducky if you're Carl Edwards these days? Three wins, a reported three-year extension with Roush Fenway Racing and the news this week that supplemental insurance company Aflac has signed on as primary sponsor of the No. 99 Ford for three years starting in 2009.
Three is definitely a charm for Edwards, and it would not be a huge surprise to see him score the first Sprint Cup title of his career this year. Surely there's one coming by 2011 when the new driver and sponsor contract terms expire.
It would be easy to paint Office Depot as the big loser here. Upon closer inspection, though, Edwards has already helped the company distinguish itself from competitors such as Staples and Office Max. One industry executive with knowledge of those early discussions recently said that was the company's primary goal all along when it decided to take the NASCAR plunge. Money well spent, it would appear.
Shortly after Office Depot's exclusive negotiating period with Roush Fenway ended and with rumors running rampant that UPS would be next to land Edwards Aflac emerged as the big winner. But at what cost?
Sister publication SportsBusiness Journal pegged the deal at $78 million over three years. The resulting $26 million-per-year figure is staggering and reportedly the largest for any driver not named Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Aflac is expected to sell the primary position on Edwards' car for a select number of races in 2009, which would defray its considerable outlay and keep Roush Fenway's piecemeal sponsorship approach firmly intact. It's been a business model borne out of necessity.
With success in NASCAR so contingent on financing, and Aflac making the type of commitment it has to Roush Fenway, Edwards can rest secure in the knowledge that he'll be a major player in the near future. Money doesn't guarantee wins, of course. One need only look at Earnhardt Jr.'s recent resume for proof of that (73 races and counting). But without it, you've got no shot to contend, which in all fairness Earnhardt Jr. is doing at third in the current point standings.
In Edwards, Aflac has a talented, high-profile, 28-year-old driver entering his prime and one who appears as adept at handling interviews as he does manhandling race cars. Hes not the corporate automaton that fans have grown tired of in recent years. Sure, he'll run down the checklist of sponsors during his postrace sessions, but he manages to do so with an injection of creative humor on occasion.
The evolution of Edwards' persona from the "Aw, shucks" Midwestern boy just happy to be here to the hulking villain towering over teammate Matt Kenseth with a raised fist last year at Martinsville will continue now with the aid of Aflac's duck.
This just in: Everybody loves ducks.
Outside of Kyle Busch, everybody loves a winner.
Aflac just landed one.
- Mentioned Drivers:
- Carl Edwards
Comments
1 response to "Kris Johnson: Aflac-Edwards alliance is just ducky"
Worm Dirt said:
May 23, 2008 at 2:58 PMYou are either blind or you are in on this scam..... I have evidence that Carl Edwards actually volunteered to be a test-subject for a new government developed android-hybrid program. I was watching an interview with Greg Biffle on Speed and some of the mirrors on the inside of the motor home reflected a startling image.... it was the image of a man in a white coat with a lap-top computer and a sinister grin plugging a USB cable into a port behind Carl's left ear. I'M NOT KIDDING!!!! His eyeballs began rolling like the wheels on a slot-machine..... coming to rest on TRIPLE-dollar-signs!!!!.... then a few taps on the computer keyboard.... and Carl's eyes went back to their phony two-faced calculated image-conscious norm. I actually respect Carl's aggressive driving on the track, but all the duck insurance in the world will not help repair your soul if you keep ignoring the CALCULATED nature of Carl's on camera persona. WAKE UP!!!!!!!!
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