Natalie Coughlin Shows Off Her Assets With O’Neill

Action sports apparel brand O’Neill has signed a deal with Olympic medal swimmer Natalie Coughlin to head a marketing campaign supporting the launch of its active apparel collection, O’Neill 365, scheduled to hit retail in Spring 2012, targets women “who demand both style and performance from workout apparel.”

Financial terms were not disclosed. Coughlin will serve as the face of the collection, and will be featured in the brand’s national ad campaigns and in-store collateral.  She will also promote the launch at various events across the country as part of the O’Neill 365 Icons program, “established to recognize inspiring females who are influencers in their community and embody the vibrant spirit of the brand,” according to the company.

Coughlin is the most decorated female swimmer in World Championships history, and is one of the most decorated American female athletes in Olympic history.  She currently is targeting the 2012 Summer Games in London.

“Natalie is a role model to females worldwide, both as a world-class athlete and inspiring woman,” Cedar Carter, director of marketing for O’Neill, said in a statement.  “We’re proud to partner with her and thrilled with the amazing insight and creativity she provides.”

Can You Name That North American Lacrosse League Team?

The owners of the North American Lacrosse League’s Charlotte franchise have teamed up with H2H Media, New York, to launch a social media bracket tournament that will allow fans to name the town’s new professional indoor lacrosse team and choose its logo. The naming is being held among 16 options, which will be narrowed down to a winner in a bracket tournament platform.

“We are set on making this Charlotte’s lacrosse team,” states team owner and president Graham D‘Alvia. “We felt by allowing the fans to choose their team’s name and logo, we were proving our commitment to having them help shape the team both now and in the years to come. Lacrosse is a sport built on participation. It always has been. So what better than this to prove ourselves to the players and fans of lacrosse in Charlotte and North Carolina as a whole.”

Charlotte’s “Your NALL” program presents 16 fully-branded videos, each featuring a different name and logo. Registered voters also become automatically eligible to win prizes that include VIP passes to special events, exclusive merchandise and season tickets.

The NALL is scheduled to being its inaugural in January with five franchises competing for the NALL World Championship. Each team will play a 12-game regular season schedule, with additional exhibitions against international squads, such as Team USA, Ireland and others. Full details here.

How To Stick With The NFL

You have your favorite NFL team and your fantasy football team. But the NFL season cannot start without your official NFL sticker collection. Panini America, the official trading card and sticker manufacturer of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has unveiled its official 2011 NFL Sticker & Album collection.

The 2011 edition features 494 new stickers (including 100 special Holographic stickers and 40 Micro-etched stickers) and a 72-page full-color album. This year’s album includes new sections for the top 2011 rookies, the 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees and the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.

In addition, through a special promotion with EA Sports, “hundreds of lucky collectors will win copies of the blockbuster Madden NFL 12 videogame through randomly inserted instant-win stickers only available in Panini NFL Sticker packets,” according to the company.

“We made tremendous strides last season with the introduction of the NFL Sticker & Album collection and introduced millions of new collectors to the concept,” Panini America CEO Mark Warsop said in a statement. “We’ve raised the bar in 2011 with several new additions that will be well received by passionate football fans around the country.”