NASCAR SPONSORS SHINE IN TRANSFORMERS 3

Target nets nearly as much exposure value ($400k) during the film's opening week as the Retailer averages throughout a NASCAR race telecast

ANN ARBOR, MI, July 8, 2011 -- A total of 16 brands’ logos were monitored on the NASCAR-themed Autobots appearing in Transformers: Dark of the Moon—last weekend’s number-one box office film—with Target, sponsor of the Earnhardt Ganassi Racing #42, the most visible of the group.

According to research conducted by Joyce Julius & Associates, Inc. -- which specializes in measuring the scope of sports sponsorships and product placements, Target’s “bot” logos appeared for 15-seconds during the 157-minute film.  When comparing the on-screen time to the movie’s week-one estimated box office gross of $414 million worldwide*, the retailer amassed an exposure value of $393,940 from the placement.

In comparison, Target’s NASCAR sponsorship has netted an average $468,600 of in-broadcast exposure value per each live telecast of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.  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.

Also appearing during the Transformers fight scene in the streets of Chicago were Autobots carrying the paint schemes of the Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowe's and #88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard.

Chevrolet’s Impala nameplate was the second-most NASCAR-related sponsor to appear during the Transformers movie, as 10-seconds of screen time led to $262,625.