While watching the Boston Celtics-Orlando Magic game Thursday night on TNT, I noticed an ad for Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Well to be honest, the sound was down and I noticed a barely clothed woman and paid attention to the ad from there. At the very end, I determined it was for Jim Beam and continued exercising without much thought.
That would change about an hour later when I was browsing SportsBusinessJournal.com and noticed a story that in an effort to bring in more advertising revenue the NBA has recently revised its longtime ban on ads for spirits. Apparently, Jim Beam did not take long to act on the opportunity.
According to the story, the NBA also will allow teams to offer hard liquor advertising on team web sites, point-of-sale retail locations, and in-arena promotions. Major League Baseball, the NHL, and NASCAR currently allow such ads while the NFL does not.
I don’t have a big problem with the decision, other than the timing. If the NBA thought ads for hard liquor did not fit with the image it wished to put forward, an economic downturn should not change that. I hope the overall marketing of the league will be considered as this policy takes shape.
Then again, I’m not the one who has to make out a check for any player’s salary.