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From the Activism Issue (Nov 2000):

ChrisandLuke.com
Getting Corporate Sponsorship to Go to College
Anna Chodos

"Damn. Wish I thought of that." Nine of ten friends responded this way when they learned about chrisandluke.com, where Chris Barrett, 18, and Luke McCabe, 17, are trying to get corporate sponsorship to go to college.

The site opens to a picture of the these two Haddonfield, New Jersey high school seniors perched on the back-end of a convertible. They are smiling and reading magazines pasted over with, "Sponsor our college education," and "We are going to be the first sponsored college students!" Luke's white t-shirt reads, "YourName.com."

Is it a joke? Oh, they are very serious, especially about their commitment to their sponsors. These self-proclaimed "Spokesguys" are going to wear the t-shirts, drink the drinks, and ride the bikes of whatever company becomes their sponsor. Their site insists to sponsors they are not "looking for a free ride," but are "talented marketing experts that are willing to go to any length for YOUR company."

They are, in fact, willing to meet their sponsor halfway even on where they go to college. Chris said they are looking at schools in big cities, namely, Boston, Los Angeles and New York, where their advertising would have more of an impact for companies with an interest in reaching college students.

"We are looking for the right combination of Chris and Luke and Company," said Chris. "We are willing to do whatever the company wants us to do within reason, and make sure it won't interfere with our studies."

The idea began simply enough. While touring schools and hanging out in Southern California last spring, they were watching Tiger Woods in Nike gear on TV and joked that if he could get paid, they could too. Soon after they began in earnest a hunt to get corporations to sponsor them to advertise their products at college.

And it seems they will succeed. Chris said they are presently negotiating with about fifteen different companies, including some wireless communication companies.

Chris and Luke have also received a fair share of media attention. They have had numerous TV and radio appearances and interviews, including WNBC 4 in New York, NPR's All Things Considered, and CBS Early Show. In a couple of week's time the Today Show offered their venue for the announcement of Chris and Luke's sponsors.

Their website is also a huge wellspring of publicity for them. Chrisandluke.com has been Yahoo's Site of the Day a few times, and it claims to have received more than 330, 000 hits. Part of the attraction of the site is a picture tour for the sponsors. It begins with a picture of a group standing and looking a bit anxious before the gates of a college named Extremely Expensive U. The tour continues with another dozen shots of Chris and Luke wearing shirts that say, "Sponsor me," or "I'm cheaper," and doing various activities like walking and eating.

Considering their high profiles and the fact that a sponsor is forever looming, would they revoke such privileges of college life as collecting polaroids of themselves doing naked keg stands, cow tipping, or drug use?

"The corporation will be acting like our parents but only more strict," Chris answered. "There will be a moral clause in the contract with the company. It will restrict what we are allowed to do in college."

Bummer. Likewise, alcohol and tobacco companies need not apply to sponsor these guys to smoke themselves silly or go on a bender to boost sales. First, Chris and Luke are underage. Second, they maintain they are "wholesome guys." They just want to get some girlfriends and chill.

And how much would it cost to get them to wear a Fed t-shirt every day of the week and burp the entire Fed board's member list during parties? $250,000 or thereabouts. (one Chris + one Luke + 2 college educations x 4 years)

Chris and Luke hope to get one main sponsor, and two or three smaller ones. Then they'll work out when and how they sponsor each one, and how they can make appearances for companies while still making time for classes and those girlfriends.

Unsurprisingly, neither one is a stranger to business or championing something new. Chris is the youngest patent holder in the United States, and the author of "How to Get into Concerts for Free," which advises people on how to be band managers and publicists. It presently is sold with decent success on the Internet. Luke sings and plays guitar for his band, Big Fat Huge, a local success and touring sensation. He and his band mates also help run the Anti-Racism Association (ARA) for South Jersey. In another flourishing initiative, both Chris and Luke organized and captained their high school Roller Hockey team.

Chris claims his next endeavor may be the first ever run for the Presidency by someone under 35. Regardless, surely both Chris and Luke's parents are grateful that their sons are already more successful than most children are in a lifetime. To boot, they seem well on the way to completely financing the burdensome quarter of a million dollar bill for college. Soon, Nike and their parents (and maybe even the Fed) can be proud of them. Just one big happy family.


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