Linsanity Abides, as Coke Buys Chinese Ads at the Garden

As lawyers try to shut down Linsanity-branded medical marijuana (from the you can't make this stuff up files), Jeremy Lin's brand appears to be thriving under new New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson.

So it should come as no surprise that the world’s largest beverage maker (and #1 best global brand) would like to have a little chunk of the Linsanity action for itself.

No, Coca-Cola isn’t going the Volvo route and signing New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin to an endorsement deal. Instead, the  company is capitalizing on the sudden interest in the team from Asian fans by investing in some Chinese-language ads that will be placed in Madison Square Garden.

The ads placed inside the Garden will be placed on rotating signboards courtside, a prime perch because they will be seen on broadcasts of the game, which have been getting a lot of attention this season from Lin fans in China, the Associated Press notes.

Clearly, Coke is looking for whatever way it can to build up its standing in the world’s most populated country. Also under consideration are putting Mandarin-language ad on the concourse of the Garden, Coca-Cola spokeswoman Susan Stribling tells the AP.

Garden ad salespeople are surely pleased because the new ads will be in addition to Coke’s previous placements rather than taking the place of any of them. So Lin’s arrival in New York hasn’t just meant more wins for the Knicks, but a whole lot more money — and a global branding opportunity.