Marketing and all things related

Racing fans know and love Danica Patrick, the female IRL race car driver who routinely trounces her male counterparts, but has yet to take the checkered flag at Indy. Danica grabbed the headlines last week, we she announced she was leaving the Rahal Letterman Racing Team to join Andretti Green Racing. But more importantly perhaps, is the status of Argent Mortgage of Irvine CA, Danica’s primary sponsor to the tune of $ 10 million for her car, uniform and appearance in advertising campaigns. Rahal Letterman assumes Argent is sponsoring their Team, not Danica. "It's our sponsor, not hers," said Bobby Rahal, co-owner of the team with television personality David Letterman. But sponsor Argent Mortgage has not yet announced whether they intend to stick with Danica on her new Andretti Green Racing Team, or sponsor another driver with Rahal Letterman. Marketing Blurb is puzzled, because we have drafted a few contracts in our day, and can’t imagine this provision was never detailed in writing. Oh, and we have mixed allegiances. Bobby Rahal is a fellow Denison Alumni, and we had breakfast with Mario Andretti back when he was still in the driver’s seat umpteen years ago. (We were just a teenager at the time.) You can read more details from Advertising Age (free registration required.)