Union & Bimbo: Some find the marriage hard to swallow

When the Philadelphia Union officially announced its multimillion-dollar deal with a jersey sponsor on Tuesday, there wasn't a bimbo in sight - but Bimbo was everywhere.

The red, white and blue logo of the big Mexico-based baker was plastered across PPL Park, on stadium signs, on backdrops, on shirts and even on a Bimbo delivery truck parked outside.

But how Union fans will digest having Bimbo on the front of the team jersey is unknown. The immediate reaction to news of the sponsor - it's pronounced, "Beem-bo" - was mixed.

"I just think it's kind of dumb," said Anne Ewing, a Union fan who lives in Philadelphia. "We'll all have to explain it over and over and over again."

Bryan James, president of the Sons of Ben supporters group, said he could understand how the common mispronunciation of Bimbo could cause some initial confusion - but that would be overcome by time and marketing.

Personally, he's thrilled by the sponsorship, and by the money it will bring to the team and Major League soccer.

"It's wonderful that a company of that size would take the opportunity to invest in our local team. It's the perfect product placement. It's the perfect venue for a sponsor."

He'll be getting a Bimbo logo stamped on the front of his team jersey, and in the meantime buying Bimbo products as a way "to give back to the company that's giving to us."

At an afternoon news conference at the Chester stadium, team and company officials unveiled the new, Bimbo-adorned Union jersey to a crowd of about 100 reporters, photographers, businesspeople, and team employees.

A giant white Bimbo bear in baker's hat and apron roamed the club level, posing for pictures and slapping furry high-fives. Thirty tiny, stuffed bears sat unblinkingly on chairs. Stand-up displays held rows of loaves of bread and bags of treats, all topped by an image of the smiling bear, who proclaimed, "Bread packed with goodness. And baked with love."

Not everyone was feeling the love on Tuesday, as word spread of the team's four-year, roughly $12 million deal with Horsham-based Bimbo Bakeries USA. Some found Bimbo hard to swallow.

"Are you kidding me?" one fan posted on Philly.com. "We're going to be laughingstock of the league."

Another posted that "as a father of a nine-year-old girl who is in love with the game and the team, I'm not so sure I'd be willing to buy her a jersey with the word 'Bimbo' plastered across the front."

The mispronunciation of Bimbo is leading the company to try to persuade consumers that its name does not glorify dull-witted, readily bedded, sort-of celebrities. Bimbo has placed billboards along I-95 that instruct, "Say 'Beembo!'," and taken a trademark on that phrase.

Union chief executive officer Nick Sakiewicz said the team had no concerns that the Bimbo name could hamper jersey sales to women.

"Not at all," he said. "In the focus groups and discussions I've had with women, the vast majority of them think it's just the coolest thing. They think it's fun. Our data is telling us they think it's kind of cool. I have zero concerns on that."

The big impact for fans, he said, is going to be on the field - because the Bimbo deal means the Union will have more money to spend on players, training and facilities. "All boats rise on this one," he said.

Bimbo has long insisted that its name is an invention, with no particular meaning, coined when the firm was founded in 1945 from two other words: Bingo, the game, and Bambi, the then-new Disney movie.

In international soccer, Bimbo is known and respected.

Hanging beside the new Union jersey on Tuesday were the jerseys of the four other teams sponsored by Bimbo. Three including Chivas de Guadalajara play in Primera Division, the top Mexican league, and one competes in Costa Rica. The Union will wear the same Bimbo logo as those clubs.

"It's very important to be among the teams we see on the wall," Union Manager Peter Nowak said, gesturing toward the jerseys. "This is another stepping stone to build our franchise, to build our team."

Union forward Sebastien Le Toux said he was happy the team signed Bimbo as a sponsor, because the baker has "lots of experience in the sport, and it's pretty nice for us to have them with us."

Sakiewicz held out the prospect of a "Bimbo Tournament" that could bring the other Bimbo-sponsored clubs to Philadelphia, while hailing the new agreement as major step forward for the Union.

"The jersey of a soccer-football club is sacred ground," he said. "Bimbo is an iconic global brand with a deep commitment to the world soccer community."

The agreement with the U.S. arm of Grupo Bimbo S.A.B. de C.V. joins the team with a shirt sponsor that is well-financed and regionally based. Bimbo Bakeries USA operates 34 bakeries nationwide, and produces breads, cakes, and treats known locally, its brands including Entenmann's pastries, Stroehmann bread, Old Country bread, and Thomas' English muffins.

In the agreement, Bimbo also becomes an official sponsor of Major League Soccer, joining a handful of firms that simultaneously support both a team and the league.

Bimbo products have been known in Mexico for 65 years, but appeared in the United States only more recently. In 1984, Grupo Bimbo started to export its wares into Texas, eventually acquiring U.S. bakeries and extending its U.S. presence from coast to coast.

The company moved its national headquarters to Horsham from Fort Worth, Texas, in 2009.

There's now speculation that Bimbo could buy financially troubled Tasty Baking Co., maker of Tastykakes.

Vince Melchiorre, senior vice president of Bimbo Bakeries USA, declined to comment on any possible purchase. At the news conference he described the agreement with the Union as "a wonderful opportunity for us to build our brand."

"I think the partnership will endure well beyond the four years of this deal," he said. "It's a proud day for us, it's an exciting day for us. We're absolutely honored to be partners with the Philadelphia Union and MLS.

On forums like Big Soccer, fans argued pro and con over Bimbo.

Some suggested that the name had more flair - and was sure to generate more interest - that a conventional choice such as Comcast or Verizon. Others said that while the money was great for the team, they wouldn't wear a shirt that said, "Bimbo."

Using team uniforms as advertising space seems anathema to fans of American football, baseball, and basketball, but it's common among overseas soccer clubs.

David Sciocchetti, executive director of the Chester Economic Development Authority, was among those who attended the news conference. He said in an interview that, sure, the name Bimbo would cause some discussion and maybe some discomfort - but that will pass.

"We have a discerning public," he said. "Once you see the product line, it'll be, 'That's the stuff I buy at the store.'"