This year, I finally broke down and purchased a subscription to MLB.tv. Though I live away from Boston, I can watch all of the Red Sox games without a lot of fuss. I get the added benefit of watching Boston-area commercials, which means the number of Dunkin' Donuts commercials I view just increased about tenfold.
But a much more interesting commercial from Jordan's Furniture, a Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKa) (NYSE:BRKb) business, caught my eye during the last couple of weeks of spring training. Anyone who has spent time in the Boston area or New England is likely familiar with the quality and comedy Barry and Eliot Tatelman have provided over the years in their commercials. Barry, who used to write the commercials, recently moved on to pursue a career on Broadway -- I kid you not. So this spot is just Eliot.
This commercial is still classic Jordan's, but with a twist. Jordan's Furniture will rebate the full cost of furniture -- mattresses, sofas, dining tables, or beds -- purchased at Jordan's from March 7 to April 16 if the Red Sox win the World Series this year.
Jordan's can do this because it has taken on insurance. I haven't been able to track down whether a Berkshire Hathaway unit wrote the policy, but I suspect the company did because Berkshire has experience in this area from a previous deal with PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) for Pepsi's billion-dollar contest a couple years back.
Whether or not Berkshire wrote the policy isn't terribly important. Jordan's estimates the offering will pull in an extra $20 million in sales, and it helps to keep the Jordan's brand in consumers' heads. Jordan's already has the insurance, and if the Red Sox do win the World Series this year -- well, that's what we all wanted anyway, isn't it?
For more on Berkshire Hathaway, check out:
- The Power of the Chairman's Letter
- Dueling Fools: Berkshire Hathaway
- Did Buffett Throw in the Towel on H&R Block?
Berkshire Hathaway is a Motley Fool Inside Value recommendation. To see what other great companies lead analyst Philip Durell has found at bargain prices, click here for your free 30-day trial.
At the time of publication, Nathan Parmelee owned shares in Berkshire Hathaway and still thought 2004 was a very good year. He had no financial position in any of the other companies mentioned. The Motley Fool has an ironclad disclosure policy.
