NASCAR partners with merchandise agency BDA

From pens and lanyards to seat cushions and water bottles, Bensussen Deutsch & Associates has been creating branded promotional swag for its corporate clients for 25 years.

Now BDA, a Seattle-based merchandise agency, has acquired an official promotional license with NASCAR that will allow it to work with the sanctioning body and its sponsors.

BDA typically works with sponsors to develop and execute campaigns around branded licensed products and consumer promotions. It already serves as the merchandise agency for Major League Baseball.

"NASCAR represents a coveted opportunity for major brands to connect with the nation's largest base of passionate fans," said Jay Deutsch, CEO and co-founder of BDA. "Merchandise represents one of the most effective ways to activate sponsorships."

NASCAR issued a request for proposal last year when it decided to seek an official promotions partner. NASCAR has had as many as eight licensees in this category, said Blake Davidson, managing director of licensed products, but the sanctioning body has been working to limit the number of promotional partners. Motorsports Authentics and WinCraft also have the ability to run officially licensed promotions within NASCAR.

"We realize that we need more than one, but we don't need eight," Davidson said. "We've learned over time that with so many in the past, it just got complicated and confusing. With BDA, few companies have the proven track record of making programs work so effectively for such a broad array of sponsors."

BDA's corporate client base includes Dell, Bank of America, GlaxoSmithKline, ExxonMobil and FedEx, among others.