Cars.com has become the first advertiser to pull its spots from ESPN's coverage of Penn State football games. In a statement to Advertising Age magazine, it said, "As a proud, longtime supporter of ESPN College Football, it's important to us that we're building our brand in a way that celebrates the sport, its fans and the dedication of its student athletes." The trade publication noted that a logo for the Sherwin-Williams paint company was taken down from the backdrop for Thursday's press conference for the new interim Penn State coach and that a page on Penn State's website that listed more than two dozen national and local corporate partners is now blank. In an interview with AdAge , sports marketing expert Bob Dorfman predicted that other allegations and new victims will likely surface. "Expect more sponsors to cut the cord. They're morally obligated to separate themselves from the program. As I've said before, there are two scandals that are too reprehensible to overcome, marketing-wise murder and child molestation."

14/11/2011