Shell has announced it will be extending its technical partnership with Ducati in MotoGP to include the Pramac Racing Team.

This follows the recent announcement that the Pramac squad will be an official factory supported team.

As well as using Shell Advance lubricant and Shell V-Power fuel – tailor made for the Ducati engine – this season’s Pramac MotoGP bikes will also feature Shell branding.

Kar Tai Koh, Global Brand Manager, Shell Advance, commented: “On behalf of Shell I would like to offer a very warm welcome to Ben Spies (Ignite Pramac Racing) and Andrea Iannone (Energyti Pramac Racing). We are looking forward to working alongside both riders and the rest of the Pramac Racing Team, who will undoubtedly benefit from our Shell products, which are integral to powering and protecting the Ducati engines. MotoGP is the ultimate test bed for developing our Shell Advance motorcycle lubricant and demonstrating our technology leadership. Extending our partnership to the Pramac Racing Team also means that we will have an even broader field of discovery, which is very rewarding for the teams as well as our Shell Advance customers.”

The Technical Partnership between Shell and Ducati has undergone impressive developments since its early beginnings in 1999. Today it has become one of the strongest collaborations within the motorcycle world, having produced six World Superbike Riders’ Titles, nine World Superbike Manufacturers’ Titles and three MotoGP World Titles in 2007 (Riders’, Manufacturers’ and Team).

“Shell has been a key Technical Partner of Ducati for over ten years. Their support of the Ducati Team and, starting from 2013, of the factory-supported Pramac Racing Team, clearly demonstrates the passion they have for the sport and their dedication to the future of our partnership,” said Bernhard Gobmeier, Ducati Corse General Manager.

Francesco Guidotti, Team Manager, Pramac Racing Team, added: “We are delighted to have an innovative global company like Shell on board. Shell is one of the most forward thinking technical partners in the world of motorsport and this undoubtedly helps pave the way for an exciting and competitive future.”

The Swedish FA (SvFF) has announced that adidas will be their new kit suppliers until 2019.

The agreement with SvFF is valid for six years starting on 1 January 2013. Adidas is the SvFF’s exclusive supplier of materials for both men, women, the youth national teams, as well as of products for the fans.

adidas and Swedish Football have a long and successful history together. Several classic Swedish national teams have enjoyed much success with the iconic three stripes on their shirts, with the team’s bronze in the 1994 World Cup as the brightest example.

“We are convinced that adidas is the partner that best matches the investment we are making in our team going forward. Their market leadership in Sweden, visions around football and fantastic product portfolio makes them an ideal partner for us”, said Mikael Santoft, Secretary General of the Swedish Football Association.

“As a step in consolidating our market leadership in football in Sweden, it is obvious that we want to initiate a partnership with the greatest symbol of Swedish football. It is with pride that we enter into cooperation and look forward to helping the Swedish national team to success”, said Brian Grevy, Nordic CEO of the adidas Group.

Harken UK, a leading manufacturer and marketer of quality sailboat hardware has announced their continued support of the UK Sailing’s 29er class until 2016.

Harken is keen to build on its successful involvement as title sponsor of the Grand prix series for the past five years and will take this support to the next level.

The new sponsorship agreement will generously reward success at each event and overall, whilst also supporting junior sailor involvement. Details of the package will be disclosed later but will be in line with that expected from the dinghy hardware specialists.

“We are very proud of our support of the 29er fleet for the last five years. The sailors competing in this series are the next generation of world class sailors and we have seen this event become increasingly successful. We felt it only right to maintain our support of the 29er fleet and continue our encouragement of these up and coming sailors,” comments Tom Peters, Harken UK Sales Manager. 

The Harken 29er Grand Prix is an annual series of eight events held across the country, culminating in a closely fought battle for the title of overall series winner at the end of each season. 

Ben Cooper, 29er Class Association Chairman commented: “The 29er class is the fastest growing youth fleet in the UK, and a key boat in the Royal Yachting Association Youth Sailing programme. With the support from Harken we are able to reward success and provide sailors access to the best dinghy equipment available.”

Spain’s leading bike company Orbea has confirmed its partnership with Orca to form the Orbea-Orca Triathlon Team.

The Orbea-Orca Triathlon Team project works not only at a pro level but also by launching a global talented athletes program. This will mean brand involvement with the best young talented athletes in both long and short distance.

Heralding from New Zealand, apoplectic  Orca is part of the Orbea family – with Orbea and Orca reaching an agreement in 2011 for Spanish Orbea to acquire Orca’s ‘operation rights in the triathlon and compression area.’

“With Orca we guarantee to deliver the best products for triathlon, symptoms not just in the bike leg, where we were already the fastest, but in the swim and run,” stated Ander Olariaga Marketing Manager at Orbea.

“This Orbea-Orca Triathlon Team is a long term project that should result in us being not only on the first row of the pros but also closely involved in supporting talented local athletes to be globally successful athletes,” added Raúl Casañas, Marketing Manager for Orca and in charge of the triathlon team project.

Casañas continued, “We want to work in both pro and talented levels to ensure that athletes grow with us.”

Orbea is part of the Mondragón Cooperative Corporation and is Spain’s largest bicycle operator.

FLW, the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization has announced today that Power-Pole has renewed a contract as an associate sponsor for the 2013 season. 

Power-Pole will receive exposure across all of FLW’s platforms, including its tournaments and Expos, multiple websites, FLW Bass Fishing magazine and the “FLW” television show on NBC Sports Network. “FLW” is broadcast Sundays in high-definition (HD) to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.

Tournament bass fishing requires the ability to hold a boat in position to fish an area efficiently. The Power-Pole shallow water anchor’s advanced technology provides this stability with the touch of a button, even in heavy winds or current.

Watkins Glen International and Kellogg Co. Cheez-It will be the title sponsor for the Aug. 11 event, patient to be called the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen.

The Cheez-It 355 will headline the annual NASCAR race weekend at Watkins Glen, sale which also will include the Nationwide Series’ Zippo 200 on Aug. 10. The 355 stands for the number of kilometers in the 90-lap, medstore 220.5-mile race.

Dana Hardy, manager of integrated promotions for Kellogg, and WGI President Michael Printup said the contract is a multiyear deal, though they wouldn’t specify the length or how much money is involved.

They did say Carl Edwards will help commemorate the sponsorship by driving the Cheez-It Ford Fusion in the August Sprint Cup race.

Kellogg, the parent company for Cheez-It, has been involved with NASCAR since 1991. But this marks the company’s first race entitlement sponsorship.

Hardy, who came to the announcement from Kellogg’s home base in Battle Creek, Mich., said negotiations went smoothly.

“It all came together fairly quickly,” she said.

Hardy added that Kellogg considered many promotional options and worked it down to a short list before deciding on Watkins Glen.

“It all came to getting first-rate quality,” she said. “Watkins Glen is a fan-favorite track. It makes sense to partner with them.”

Printup added, “We’ve had good relations with Kellogg.”

He said the deal had nothing to do with planned repaving at the track, which he said will take place two to three years from now.

WGI was unable to come up with a sponsor for its 2012 Cup race, called the Finger Lakes 355 at The Glen.

Printup said the Cup races at Watkins Glen over the past few years have been considered among the best during the NASCAR season, making it attractive to sponsors. As just one of two road courses on the Sprint Cup schedule, recent Glen races have offered slam-bang racing and close finishes.

Heluva Good!, a Sodus-based maker of dips, sour cream, cheese and condiments, had been the Glen’s Cup race sponsor from 2009 to 2011. WGI and Heluva Good! were unable to come to an agreement to continue the sponsorship.

Budweiser was the original Cup race sponsor at Watkins Glen, starting in 1986. The event was known as the Bud at The Glen until 1998.

Swedish retail clothing company, vcialis 40mg H&M has announced it has signed a long-term partnership with the international tennis star Tomas Berdych.

Currently ranked 6th in the world, capsule Czech-born Berdych will be an ambassador for H&M both on-court and off, and will work closely with the H&M design team on a unique tennis collection which will debut in stores later on. 

Tomas is one of the brightest talents in a globally popular sport, who also has a personal love of fashion and style, which means he is the perfect partner for H&M.

“I am very excited about this partnership. This is H&M’s first foray into tennis and it is very flattering for me to be their first ambassador. H&M is young, cool and easy, everything I think clothing should be. I love fashion, and it’s great to now have H&M to help me develop my tennis and off-court apparel. I’m sure we will do great things together”, says Tomas Berdych.

“I am so happy to welcome Tomas to the H&M family. Tomas is such an exciting player, and he also cares greatly about style. We can’t wait to start working with him, to watch Tomas wear H&M on court, and to see our upcoming collection with him in H&M stores worldwide”, says Karl-Johan Persson, CEO of H&M.

Tomas Berdych’s partnership with H&M marks a new chapter in the relationship between sport and fashion. The partnership will see H&M clothing worn on court by a top-ranking tennis player for the first time and will bring a professional sports influence to H&M. As well as playing in H&M, Tomas will also be an ambassador for H&M off the court, wearing his pick from H&M’s menswear collections.

27 year-old Tomas Berdych is one of the most-watched players on the professional tennis circuit. Currently ranked 6th in the world, his biggest achievement so far has been reaching the finals at Wimbledon in 2010, beating Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the process and he was also pivotal in the Czech Republic`s Davis Cup victory in 2012.

A great role model, Tomas is already one of the biggest stars of a sport growing in international popularity, both in terms of spectators and also those playing the game in their own leisure time. The growth reflects that of H&M, a growing global company which continues to open stores in new markets worldwide.

Bushnell has been appointed the Official Laser Rangefinder of the PGA Tour of Australasia in a deal extending across the next two years.

Bushnell are makers of the most complete line of golf measuring equipment in the world and pioneered the golf laser rangefinder, prostate developing superior technological break-throughs ever since.

The partnership gives Bushnell the ability to showcase their collection of superior measuring devices through the season’s biggest events including the Emirates Australian Open and the Australian PGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola while also gaining exposure through the PGA’s extensive golf channel.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the PGA as the exclusive laser rangefinder partner. Bushnell is the number one brand of choice for over 90% of PGA, LPGA and Champions Tour Pros and used by some of the world’s best golfers and caddies,” said Fiona Marty, Marketing Manager – Asia Pacific.

“Supported by our fantastic ambassadors Lee Westwood and Rickie Fowler, the team at Bushnell is looking forward to the opportunity to work with the PGA and their Members over the next two years.”

The partnership with the PGA offers Bushnell a number of unique opportunities including experiential marketing, retail sales and access to both PGA Tour Professionals and Tour staff on course throughout the next two PGA Tour of Australasia seasons.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Bushnell on board as our latest PGA partner and look forward to working with them over the next two years,” said Brian Thorburn, CEO of the PGA.

“Through our tournament platform and network of Members Australia-wide, the channels available through the PGA provide exceptional opportunities and value for PGA partners and we look forward to working with Bushnell to solidify their brand through our sport.”

“The PGA’s tournament platform which ranges from the Emirates Australian Open through to state based events and a national pro-am series, across all corners of Australia, is further supported by our network of over 2,500 PGA Professionals who combined; represent one of the largest retail channels in this country.”

“The PGA is in a unique position within the golf industry to be able to provide such benefits across a number of levels and we are committed to working with brands such as Bushnell for the benefit of not only their brand but for the entire industry.”