Demand Creation Expense
Demand creation expense consists of advertising and promotion costs, including costs of endorsement contracts, television, digital and print advertising, brand events, and retail brand presentation. Advertising production costs are expensed the first time an advertisement is run. Advertising placement costs are expensed in the month the advertising appears, while costs related to brand events are expensed when the event occurs. Costs related to retail brand presentation are expensed when the presentation is completed and delivered.
A significant amount of the Company’s promotional expenses result from payments under endorsement contracts. Accounting for endorsement payments is based upon specific contract provisions. Generally, endorsement payments are expensed on a straight-line basis over the term of the contract after giving recognition to periodic performance compliance provisions of the contracts. Prepayments made under contracts are included in prepaid expenses or other assets depending on the period to which the prepayment applies.
Some of the contracts provide for contingent payments to endorsers based upon specific achievements in their sports (e.g., winning a championship). The Company records selling and administrative expense for these amounts when the endorser achieves the specific goal.
Some of the contracts provide for payments based upon endorsers maintaining a level of performance in their sport over an extended period of time (e.g., maintaining a top ranking in a sport for a year). These amounts are recorded in selling and administrative expense when the Company determines that it is probable that the specified level of performance will be maintained throughout the period. In these instances, to the extent that actual payments to the endorser differ from our estimate due to changes in the endorser’s athletic performance, increased or decreased selling and administrative expense may be recorded in a future period.
Some of the contracts provide for royalty payments to endorsers based upon a predetermined percentage of sales of particular products. The Company expenses these payments in cost of sales as the related sales occur. In certain contracts, the Company offers minimum guaranteed royalty payments. For contractual obligations for which the Company estimates it will not meet the minimum guaranteed amount of royalty fees through sales of product, the Company records the amount of the guaranteed payment in excess of that earned through sales of product in selling and administrative expense uniformly over the remaining guarantee period.
Through cooperative advertising programs, the Company reimburses retail customers for certain costs of advertising the Company’s products. The Company records these costs in selling and administrative expense at the point in time when it is obligated to its customers for the costs, which is when the related revenues are recognized. This obligation may arise prior to the related advertisement being run.
Total advertising and promotion expenses were $2,745 million, $2,607 million, and $2,344 million for the years ended May 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Prepaid advertising and promotion expenses recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets totaled $386 million and $281 million at May 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
