DuPont Performance Coatings Jeff Gordon Advertising Campaign Records 2293 Finding aid prepared by Jason Sylvestre in August 2006.. Last updated on March 04, 205. Manuscripts and Archives Department 992-2000
Table of Contents Summary Information...3 Biography/History...3 Scope and Contents... 4 Arrangement...5 Administrative Information... 5 Controlled Access Headings...5 Collection Inventory... 7 - Page 2 -
Summary Information Repository Hagley Museum and Library: Manuscripts and Archives Department Creator DuPont Performance Coatings, Inc. Title DuPont Performance Coatings Jeff Gordon Advertising Campaign Records Call number 2293 Date [inclusive] 992-2000 Extent 0.4 linear feet General Physical Description note 29 items Language English Abstract The collection consists of advertisements and memorabilia collected by a DuPont employee who followed Jeff Gordon on the NASCAR circuit. Biography/History Du Pont Performance Coatings, Inc., was created in March 999 by the merger of DuPont Automotive Finishes, a business unit of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, and Herberts GmbH, the coatings subsidiary of the German chemical firm Hoechst AG. Automotive Finishes had once been part of Du Pont's Automotive Products Dept., and DuPont had a long history in automotive finishes. In 993, capitalizing on the growing popularity of NASCAR racing, DuPont sponsored famed driver Jeff Gordon, whose #24 was adorned with the DuPont logo. Gordon and his car became the centerpiece of a DuPont - Page 3 -
advertising campaign showcasing its automotive finishes. DuPont chose well in their sponsorship of Gordon. In 993 he was named the Winston Cup rookie of the year. In 995, 997, 998, and 200 he was crowned the Winston Cup Champion. Throughout the span of his NASCAR career Gordon has raced his #24 car with the DuPont name printed very prominently across the hood. Aside from the car, DuPont sponsored the?contingency Finish? program. This program gave bonuses to winning cars painted with DuPont products. The cars that wore DuPont paint were tagged with a sticker on the contingency panel, an area near the driver?s side door. To further their marketing efforts, DuPont created a variety of different material. They produced stand-up displays featuring Jeff Gordon and DuPont?s ChromaPermier Champion?s Choice Paint to be put in DuPont product distributors and body shops. A number of posters were printed with various combinations of Jeff Gordon, the #24 car, paint schemes, color samples, other DuPont drivers, and even non-motorsports figures like Hot Rod builder Boyd Coddington. DuPont created special paint jobs to celebrate NASCAR?s 50th anniversary. Superman was featured in a special edition comic book with many major Motorsports figures including Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., John Force, Matt Hines, Steve Kinser, and Jimmy Vasser that was linked with a special paint job for the #24 car featuring the Man of Steel. Autographed pictures of Jeff Gordon in the #24 were given out as promotional gifts and sold to collectors. DuPont worked with the Kellogg Company to have Jeff Gordon and their car featured on the front of a Wheaties box in celebration of Gordon being named rookie of the year in 993 and in 995 for being the NASCAR champion. Other marketing efforts included the production of Jeff Gordon trading cards and post cards. DuPont Automotive finishes looked outside the world of NASCAR racing to sell and advertise their product. Automotive finishes were marketed to carmakers of all types. DuPont put together media packets and set out color samples popular in a given year. The Automotive Finishes branch even tried its hand at painting and finishing helicopters, creating a color packet for the Robinson Helicopter Company. Scope and Contents The collection consists of advertisements and memorabilia collected by a DuPont employee who followed Jeff Gordon on the NASCAR circuit. They include posters, trading cards, stand-up displays, pictures, a comic book featuring Superman and Jeff Gordon, a Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats box with Gordon on the front, and other promotional material for DuPont's line of Performance Coatings for NASCAR, all featuring images of Gordon and his car, #24. The marketing efforts featured DuPont's brand of ChromaLusion Paint, a special finish developed for automobiles. - Page 4 -
Arrangement Arranged chronologically. Administrative Information Manuscripts and Archives Department 992-2000 Finding aid prepared by Jason Sylvestre in August 2006.. Use Restrictions Copyright retained by DuPont. Provenance Gift of DuPont Automotive Finishes Controlled Access Headings Corporate Name(s) E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Personal Name(s) Gordon, Jeff, 97- - Page 5 -
Subject(s) Advertising campaigns. Automobile racing. Automobiles--Painting. Hendrick Motorsports (Firm). Kellogg Company. NASCAR (Association). Posters. - Page 6 -
Collection Inventory Color Card - Robinson Helicopter Color Selector. Box Rick Craven and No. 99 J and J Racing/DuPont Automotive Finishes NASCAR Busch Series racecar autograph card, 992. 0 Limited Edition postcards featuring Jeff Gordon, 993. Kellogg's Frosted Bite Size Mini Wheats Jeff Gordon 993 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year Story (Commemorative box flat), 993. Reprint of Chevrolet congratulatory newspaper ad "Chevy Congratulates Jeff Gordon, winner of the Coca-Cola 600", 994. Reprint of DuPont congratulatory ad, "Finish First with DuPont; Jeff Gordon Wins Coca- Cola 600", 994. Finish First with DuPont media pad, 997. Autographed Photograph - Jeff Gordon holding 997 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion trophy and Ray Evernham in Victory Lane, Atlanta, 997. - Page 7 -
DuPont Automotive Motorsports media pad, 997. Brochure - DuPont Automotive Color Popularity, 997. "Superman Meets the Motorsports Champions" Commemorative comic book featuring Jeff Gordon, 999. Side View - Jeff Gordon in No. 24 car Superman car, 999. Scope and Content autographed photograph Color Card - Fleet Color Selector, 999. NASCAR 50th anniversary commemorative No. 24 car, 2000.. Press Kit, Product News - Sontara Wipes - Better Performance from Start to Finish, 2000. Press Kit, Product News - Gordon No. 24 Car gets a new look for 200, 2000. Press Kit, Product News - DuPont 4700S - Fastest Air-Dry Cleaner, 2000. - Page 8 -
Press Kit, Product News - DuPonts New 4500S Clear Can Cut Production Schedules, 2000. Press Kit, Product News - Significant Savings possible with Computerized Mix System from X-Pert Systems and DPC, 2000. Action Performance Companies Inc., :24 Scale Jeff Gordon #24 DuPont 200 Monte Carlo Limited Edition Collectible, 200. Jeff Gordon Chroma Premier Champion's Choice Tabletop Standup. MD-26 Box Jeff Gordon/Car 24 "Finish First with DuPont", tabletop standup literature holder. MD-26 Poster: "Finish it Right: Beauty, Brilliance, Durability" featuring five hot rods finished in DuPont custom finishes. Poster: "Winston Cup Series Debut"; blueprint style featuring Jeff Gordon, the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports/DuPont Automotive Finishes race car and the individual paint colors, Autographed by the artist Chris Lippard and Jeff Gordon, 992. - Page 9 -
Reprint of "All My Cars Finish First with DuPont" ad, Featuring Rick Hendrick, a Hendrick dealership and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Automotive Finishes Race Car, 993.. "Official Finish of NASCAR" DuPont NASCAR teams featuring all cars participating in the "Official Finish" contingency program, 993.. "Madison Avenue at Speed" Image of life-size painting by Peter Maier of the No. 24 racecar, 994.. "Rolling Thunder" with Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 race car from a painting by Bear, 994.. Finish first with DuPont, Ricker Craven and No. 2 J and J Racing/DuPont Automotive Finishes NASCAR Busch Grand National Racecar, 995.. "'America's Most Beautiful Roadster' featuring the DuPont Smoothster" Hot Rod, Autographed by car builder Boyd Coddington of Hot Rods by Boyd, 995.. Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats Jeff Gordon 995 NASCAR Champion Commemorative box flat, 996. MD-26 3 - Page 0 -
"DuPont-Official Finish of NASCAR" With Jeff Gordon, No. 24 car and three NASCAR Winston Cup trophies, 999.. MD-26 3 "Blue Steel Prizm" with four views of the No. 24 superman car, 999.. MD-26 3 - Page -