Kings pay to say they're still one for all (AD INSIDE)
sacbee
Kings pay to say they're still one for all
Deciphering an ad: The meaning behind the message
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, November 3, 2004
And you thought the spin room was finally closed.
It may not have pertained to the presidential race, but the full-page Kings advertisement that was published in The Bee's sports pages on Election Day 2004 was just vague enough to warrant further investigation.
What, in the Kings' high-drama political world, was that all about?
According to those in the advertising/public relations industry, ads like these are rarely, if ever, works of ambiguity. Words and images are chosen wisely, their selection and placement tied to a deeper meaning and central theme.
Even if a bunch of professional athletes are crafting the message.
With an all-white background and no official Kings logo displayed, the ad's banner read "Our spirit will never be broken." Each word was hand-written by the six contributing players, who paid more than a combined $12,000 for the space.
There were five vacation-style photographs of Kings in street clothes - Peja Stojakovic smiling at the top, Bobby Jackson, Doug Christie and Mike Bibby each alone in the middle, and a group shot of Chris Webber, Brad Miller and Darius Songaila (the only non-contributor) below from the team's recent trip to China.
Their autographs overlaid the entire page, with the secondary message across the bottom in computer font: "Thank You Fans. We Love You!"
In the face of nationwide speculation that these players could be the next version of last year's chemistry-starved Los Angeles Lakers, their faces said otherwise.
"I think the message is simple: We can all play nicely together in the sandbox," said David Carter, the principal at the Sports Marketing Group in Los Angeles. "It's very important for people in Sacramento who spend their hard-earned cash on this product to know that they're not spending their money on a product that never really had a chance."
Athletes have used this method before, paying to speak their truth without the media filter they usually operate through. Typically, though, the messages have been more transparent.
The Kings' ad, according to public relations guru Richard Temple, isn't as clear as it seems. The vice president of Sacramento-based McNally Temple Associates Inc., Temple knows the power of the controlled and calculated message.
He is one of the state's leading political analysts, with more than 20 years experience in government and public relations and President George W. Bush as one of his company's past clients.
"There's been changes (with the Kings), there's been turmoil, and from (looking at the ad), it looked for the first time like the team was united and together," Temple said. "It looks playful, fun, positive, happy. ... You can have people say that we're all together, but there's nothing like a picture to tell the point."
And a collage of strategically placed pictures could work even better.
"On top, (Stojakovic) is probably the most loved superstar on the team," Carter said. "You've got Webber on the bottom, linked with more than just himself, which is important to show that he's not just a jerk that they don't want around anymore."
He's much more than that. Webber is the one who paid the advertising bill, collecting the other player's portions later for the collective response to the chemistry questions.
"I think sometimes people don't recognize the special situation we have here," Webber said before the opener against Dallas on Tuesday. "Our chemistry at its worst, believe me, is probably the best in the NBA. And we're nowhere near our worst. (The ad) was just something where we just wanted to say thank you and let that speak for itself, and then we don't have to talk about it anymore."
So they arranged a statement of grand proportions.
"(There was) so much negativity from this past summer, people talking this and people talking that, we just want people to know that we haven't lost anything," Jackson said. "Regardless of what happened with all the rumors and talk, we're going to be ready to play."
Whether Kings fans needed a morale boost is debatable. After an offseason in which Stojakovic demanded a trade, beloved Vlade Divac left for the Lakers and Webber questioned the work ethic and heart of his own teammates, the Kings seemed far from cohesive.
And however insignificant to the big picture, the preseason woes hadn't helped matters. The Kings went 2-6, their worst loss coming Friday as the Phoenix Suns won 124-96 and Arco Arena was peppered with boos. Many fans left early in the fourth quarter, and those remaining passed the time in anti-Arco fashion: They did the wave.
"I've never seen that at Arco," one longtime Kings worker said.
Just after casting her election ballot at Roseville's Oakmont High School on Tuesday, Kings fan Ronna Cowles said she wasn't worried about the local hoops incumbents. "I think it means that they're out there to do their job, and I think they're going to do it," Cowles said. "I think they're doing that so they can tell the fans, You've supported us, and we're going to be there for you guys."
sacbee
Kings pay to say they're still one for all
Deciphering an ad: The meaning behind the message
By Sam Amick -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, November 3, 2004
And you thought the spin room was finally closed.
It may not have pertained to the presidential race, but the full-page Kings advertisement that was published in The Bee's sports pages on Election Day 2004 was just vague enough to warrant further investigation.
What, in the Kings' high-drama political world, was that all about?
According to those in the advertising/public relations industry, ads like these are rarely, if ever, works of ambiguity. Words and images are chosen wisely, their selection and placement tied to a deeper meaning and central theme.
Even if a bunch of professional athletes are crafting the message.
With an all-white background and no official Kings logo displayed, the ad's banner read "Our spirit will never be broken." Each word was hand-written by the six contributing players, who paid more than a combined $12,000 for the space.
There were five vacation-style photographs of Kings in street clothes - Peja Stojakovic smiling at the top, Bobby Jackson, Doug Christie and Mike Bibby each alone in the middle, and a group shot of Chris Webber, Brad Miller and Darius Songaila (the only non-contributor) below from the team's recent trip to China.
Their autographs overlaid the entire page, with the secondary message across the bottom in computer font: "Thank You Fans. We Love You!"
In the face of nationwide speculation that these players could be the next version of last year's chemistry-starved Los Angeles Lakers, their faces said otherwise.
"I think the message is simple: We can all play nicely together in the sandbox," said David Carter, the principal at the Sports Marketing Group in Los Angeles. "It's very important for people in Sacramento who spend their hard-earned cash on this product to know that they're not spending their money on a product that never really had a chance."
Athletes have used this method before, paying to speak their truth without the media filter they usually operate through. Typically, though, the messages have been more transparent.
The Kings' ad, according to public relations guru Richard Temple, isn't as clear as it seems. The vice president of Sacramento-based McNally Temple Associates Inc., Temple knows the power of the controlled and calculated message.
He is one of the state's leading political analysts, with more than 20 years experience in government and public relations and President George W. Bush as one of his company's past clients.
"There's been changes (with the Kings), there's been turmoil, and from (looking at the ad), it looked for the first time like the team was united and together," Temple said. "It looks playful, fun, positive, happy. ... You can have people say that we're all together, but there's nothing like a picture to tell the point."
And a collage of strategically placed pictures could work even better.
"On top, (Stojakovic) is probably the most loved superstar on the team," Carter said. "You've got Webber on the bottom, linked with more than just himself, which is important to show that he's not just a jerk that they don't want around anymore."
He's much more than that. Webber is the one who paid the advertising bill, collecting the other player's portions later for the collective response to the chemistry questions.
"I think sometimes people don't recognize the special situation we have here," Webber said before the opener against Dallas on Tuesday. "Our chemistry at its worst, believe me, is probably the best in the NBA. And we're nowhere near our worst. (The ad) was just something where we just wanted to say thank you and let that speak for itself, and then we don't have to talk about it anymore."
So they arranged a statement of grand proportions.
"(There was) so much negativity from this past summer, people talking this and people talking that, we just want people to know that we haven't lost anything," Jackson said. "Regardless of what happened with all the rumors and talk, we're going to be ready to play."
Whether Kings fans needed a morale boost is debatable. After an offseason in which Stojakovic demanded a trade, beloved Vlade Divac left for the Lakers and Webber questioned the work ethic and heart of his own teammates, the Kings seemed far from cohesive.
And however insignificant to the big picture, the preseason woes hadn't helped matters. The Kings went 2-6, their worst loss coming Friday as the Phoenix Suns won 124-96 and Arco Arena was peppered with boos. Many fans left early in the fourth quarter, and those remaining passed the time in anti-Arco fashion: They did the wave.
"I've never seen that at Arco," one longtime Kings worker said.
Just after casting her election ballot at Roseville's Oakmont High School on Tuesday, Kings fan Ronna Cowles said she wasn't worried about the local hoops incumbents. "I think it means that they're out there to do their job, and I think they're going to do it," Cowles said. "I think they're doing that so they can tell the fans, You've supported us, and we're going to be there for you guys."
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