Mercedes Buys Naming Rights to Superdome

The New Orleans Superdome, home stadium to the NFL's Saints, will soon be sponsored and rebranded by Mercedes-Benz USA, reports Adweek. The luxury car manufacturer signed a 10-year agreement to link its name to the Saints' turf—despite the Superdome's lingering association as a makeshift refugee camp for victims of Hurricane Katrina. “Enough time has passed," says Mercedes' VP of marketing, "and America loves a comeback story.”

The VP is further undeterred by the fact that many football fans see a Benz as out of reach: "It’s a brand that can often [feel] unapproachable. It’s too far away. We want to bring it closer.” The priciest models can go for $200,000, but the smaller C Class variant starts at about $35,000, notes Fortune. A smaller and cheaper A Class will be sold in the US in 2014. (More Mercedes-Benz stories.)