Sometimes, things come at us out of left field, and it felt that way when this happened. Though, the WWE turned it around in a stroke of marketing genius. This day in wrestling history, June 5, 2002, was one of surprises, but just as entertaining.
Just goes to show we can’t ever say never when it comes to professional wrestling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnwwN2KG_wg
World Wildlife Fund strikes
The WWE had recently survived the Monday Night Wars and purchased their rival, WCW. But the World Wildlife Fund was one Vince McMahon couldn’t overcome, as he and the WWF lost a lawsuit for the WWF trademark.
In a press release, still available at WWE.com stated the following:
“STAMFORD, CONN., May 6, 2002 – To further capture a greater share of the global marketplace and to represent the growing diversity of its entertainment properties, World Wrestling Federation Entertainment today announced it is changing its name to World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE). The company’s website, one of the most popular in the world, will now be found at WWE.com.
“A new logo reflecting the name change will be introduced tonight on WWE’s top-rated television show RAW on TNN at 9 p.m. (ET).
“’As World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, we have entertained millions of fans around the United States and around the globe,’ said Linda McMahon, CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. ‘Our new name puts the emphasis on the ‘E’ for entertainment, what our company does best. WWE provides us with a global identity that is distinct and unencumbered, which is critical to our U.S. and international growth plans.’
Mrs. McMahon said the company began considering dropping the word ‘Federation’ from its name when World Wildlife Fund (a/k/a World Wide Fund for Nature) prevailed in a recent court action in the United Kingdom. The court ruling prevents the World Wrestling Federation from the use of the logo it adopted in 1998 and the letters WWF in specified circumstances. The ‘Fund’ has indicated that although the two organizations are very different, there is the likelihood of confusion in the market place by virtue of the fact that both organizations use the letters WWF. The Fund has indicated that it does not want to have any association with the World Wrestling Federation. ‘Therefore,’ said, Mrs. McMahon, ‘we will utilize this opportunity to position ourselves emphasizing the entertainment aspect of our company, and, at the same time, allay the concerns of the Fund.’
“Mrs. McMahon said the name change provides a distinct and unencumbered global identity that will further cast World Wrestling Entertainment as an integrated entertainment and media company. ‘’World Wrestling Entertainment and WWE will now be the identity that we use from the television base we have established in 130 countries,’ she said. ‘As WWE, we will launch our further expanded U.S. and international touring, our international expansion of branded merchandise and licensed products, and our further integration into the film, publishing and music businesses.’
“The successful development of the “Tough Enough” television series on MTV, a new book deal with Simon and Schuster, and the hit motion picture, “The Scorpion King,” executive produced by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and WWE, are examples of the types of activities the company plans to undertake as it expand its horizons in the global entertainment industry.
“New logo art has been provided to business partners, licensees and vendors. The company expects that, for the most part, the changeover to the new name and logo will be completed within five months.
“WWE will continue to trade as WWF on the New York Stock Exchange until a suitable replacement symbol is found. The company will be providing the appropriate documentation and filings with regulators to solicit shareholder approval of the name change.
“In conjunction with the name change, WWE announced it has changed the name of its entertainment complex in New York City’s Times Square from WWF New York to The World, currently the name of its popular night club.
“World Wrestling Entertainment (NYSE: WWF) is an integrated media and entertainment company headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York City, Chicago, Toronto and London. Additional information on the company can be found at wwe.com and wwecorpbiz.com. Information on television ratings and community activities can be found at wweparents.com.”
This followed the Court of Appeal of England and Wales upholding an injunction by the World Wildlife Fund in 1993 in Switzerland. The Fund threatened to take it worldwide, and the two companies reached an agreement in 1994.
Get the “F” out
The situation came to a head after allegations of harassment and sexual abuse scandals in the Federation in 1992 could bring the negative publicity to the Fund’s doorstep. As such, they eventually came to an agreement in 1994 where the Federation agreed to stop using the WWF initials internationally, with the exceptions being the sale of older merchandise and the occasional mention of “the current WWF champion.”
The Federation ignored the deal and continued business as usual, which led to the final lawsuit.
This led to a great marketing gimmick by Vince McMahon and company as they changed from the World Wrestling Federation to World Wrestling Entertainment and triggered the “Get the ‘F’ out” trend.
It was a cool way to spin it to the WWE’s favor, but that’s always been one of Vince McMahon’s talents. McMahon’s talent to spin things came to the fore in the company’s first episode their documentary series Ruthless Aggression. There, they showed an old clip of McMahon from Byte This (WWE’s old weekly talk show) saying (Special thanks to Forbes.com for the excerpt and additional information), “I believe there’s gonna be a tidal wave from an attitudinal standpoint, from a creative direction standpoint, and I think it’s gonna wash away a lot of our ills. And I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but nor can I specifically articulate it to to you at the moment, but I just know it’s on its way.”
Always the showman, Vince McMahon showed once more his openness when it comes to rewriting history to make himself and the WWE look better.
This day in wrestling history can’t blame him, as it is for show. At least, we hope it is.
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