Oakley, Inc. and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) have extended it’s partnership that will make Oakley the official eyewear supplier to Team USA through 2020.

“Decades of Oakley innovation were venerated when we were selected as the official licensee and eyewear supplier to Team USA for London 2012, and it is a tremendous honor to have the partnership extended so far into the future,” said Scott Bowers, Oakley’s Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Brand Development.

Oakley is the first-ever performance-based eyewear supplier to the USOC and Team USA, and has licensing rights for protective, active, lifestyle and corrective eyewear, including glasses, sunglasses, goggles and associated accessories.

Bowers continued, “Oakley is driven Beyond Reason to achieve innovation worthy of the world’s best athletes. We look forward to the future of our USOC partnership and to reinventing possibility for U.S. Olympians and Paralympians who will put their faith in our products during the performances of their lives.”

Hundreds of athletes from more than 15 sports will rely on Oakley performance innovations during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The company will also supply product to the U.S. delegation at Sochi 2014, Rio de Janeiro 2016, Pyeongchang 2018 and the soon-to-be-determined host city of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Additionally, Oakley will support Team USA at the Youth Olympic Games for Nanjing 2014, Lillehammer 2016 and the yet-to-be-decided hosts of the 2018 and 2020 Youth Games.

“U.S. athletes trust Oakley eyewear, and we are proud to partner with a company that has earned such a distinguished reputation for performance technology,” said USOC Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Baird. “In addition, the partnership allows Team USA fans to show their support for athletes by purchasing products from the Team USA Collection.”

A percentage of the proceeds from sales of all Team USA eyewear will support the training of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls.

Oakley’s athletes include Kristen Armstrong (Olympic gold medalist, cycling), Bryan Clay (Olympic gold medalist, decathlon), Susan Francia (Olympic gold medalist, rowing), Lolo Jones (world champion, 100m hurdles), Taylor Phinney (world champion, cycling), Wallace Spearmon (world champion, 4x100m relay), and Kerri Walsh (two-time Olympic gold medalist, beach volleyball).

For the second consecutive year, purchase RBC Royal Bank is the title sponsor of the Caribbean’s premier golfing event, ed the 56th Annual RBC Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships.

The tournament, capsule hosted by the OECS Golf Association, tees off on August 6 and runs until August 11 at the Royal St. Kitts Golf Course in St. Kitts and will feature the best of the Caribbean’s amateur golfers. Once again, teams from all around the region will participate including Barbados, Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, OECS, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos and the US Virgin Islands.

St. Kitts has hosted the Championships in previous years and is regarded by many regional players as one of the best conditioned and most scenic golf courses.

According to the official Caribbean Golf Association (CGA) website, Royal St. Kitts plays as an 18-hole, Par 71 course at 6,900 yards from the championship gold tees. The extraordinary layout boasts water hazards on 10 holes, 80 bunkers and a multitude of coconut palm trees along the Atlantic Ocean.

President of the Caribbean Golf Association (CGA), Asraph Ali, commented: “To have one of the largest financial institutions in the region support our Championships for the second year is positive reinforcement for us as we continue to add more value to the event. We are quite excited that RBC Royal Bank has reassumed the role of Title Sponsor for this year’s event. In so doing, we look forward to building upon the tremendous successes enjoyed from last year’s event,” he said.

Suresh Sookoo, CEO, Caribbean Banking, RBC added: “RBC is proud to once again support the CAGC. Our decision to get on board is driven by our desire to elevate the game in the Caribbean much in the same way that we have in Canada and the United States through our parent company RBC.”

President of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Golf Association, Chris Taylor added, “It is an honor to host these Championships and to have RBC as the title sponsor improves the future of golf in the Caribbean. As with previous years, we expect fierce competition as all the players bring their A-games to the Championships.”

The SheROX Triathlon Series today announced a partnership with Toyota to become the title sponsor of the leading international women’s multi-sport series. 

The 2012 Toyota SheROX Triathlon Series will feature eight race weekends with six returning locations (Naperville, ed IL; Detroit, clinic MI; Philadelphia, allergist PA; Asbury Park, NJ; San Diego, CA and Bermuda) along with two new venues (Cherry Creek, CO and Devens, MA.). Through its ongoing partnership with Life Time Fitness, Inc., the Series continues to expand its reach while encouraging, supporting and motivating thousands of women to embrace and live the multisport lifestyle.

“Over the last five years, SheROX has become the race-of-choice for women looking to embrace the challenge and excitement of triathlon,” said Richard Adler, CEO, Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC — owner and producer of the SheROX Series. “We are very proud to have Toyota — a brand that is truly passionate about the sport of triathlon – on board as the title sponsor of the Series. Together we look forward to driving the Series to new heights and remaining true to our mission of providing a great race experience while encouraging and supporting women to live a healthier and more active lifestyle.”

Jim Baudino, engagement marketing manager, Toyota., said: “We are excited to partner with the SheROX Triathlon Series for the 2012 race season. This is a great opportunity for Toyota to support the empowerment of women, who are motivated to try something new. By partnering with SheROX, we are supporting their great Mentor Program and helping women accomplish goals they have set for themselves.”

The Series will continue to feature the successful programming elements and benefits which have made SheROX popular, highlighted by the SheROX Mentor Program. The complimentary SheROX Mentor Program pairs participants with an experienced female triathlete who is passionate about the sport and provides information and motivation helping women with their expectations during training and on race day.

The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) serves as the Official Charitable Partner of the 2012 Toyota SheROX Triathlon Series. OCRF is dedicated to the formulation of early diagnostic treatment programs and research toward the ultimate conquest of ovarian cancer. SheROX athletes can join “Team Hope”– pledging to raise funds for OCRF as they race.

apoplectic | sans-serif; font-size: 13px; background-color: rgba(255, sale 255, 255, 0.917969); margin-bottom: 12pt;”>The Scottish Premier League has announced a partnership with Weatherseal Home Improvements Ltd (Weatherseal) which sees Weatherseal become the league’s “official home improvement partner”.

Launched on the first day of business after the transfer window opened on Saturday, Weatherseal is the SPL’s first big signing of the summer after a significant undisclosed six figure deal was unanimously rubber stamped by the twelve SPL clubs.

The SPL’s new partner aims to engage with clubs, players, supporters and the media alike to support and promote Scottish football in a highly proactive fashion.

SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: “The SPL is focused on supporting SPL clubs financially as much as possible and I am delighted to announce a new partnership with Weatherseal, the first “official home improvement partner” of the SPL.

“The Weatherseal brand is thriving in Scotland and working with such a strong brand will complement our other commercial partnerships with the Clydesdale Bank, Coca-Cola, Thomas Cook and William Hill. Weatherseal have a number of innovative ideas to maximise the benefits of our partnership and we are very much looking forward to working together over the coming season.

“This announcement demonstrates there is a strong appetite amongst brands to be associated with the SPL.”

Tony Reilly, group managing director at Weatherseal added: “We are delighted to have concluded this deal with the SPL, and are very pleased to be part of Scottish football as the summer’s first signing. So many of our customers are huge football fans across the country and we see tremendous synergy between the vibrancy of our brands.

“Local communities have been good to our brand over the years and we want to give something back by supporting their teams, so we’ll do everything we can to help the league to improve in every sense. This is a real partnership.”

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has bolstered it’s roster of sponsors for the upcoming US Open by signing a three-year deal with energy company Chevron Corporation.

Chevron will pay $4 million annually to become an official USGA partner which includes print, broadcast and digital media purchases.

The agreement will use marquee events to promote education by showcasing the science and technology principles behind the game, Glenn Weckerlin, Chevron’s director of marketing, said. There will be learning stations to teach about the science of golf — such as aerodynamics, velocity and lift of golf balls, and measuring the slope and acceleration of putting greens.

Sarah Hirshland, the USGA’s director of business affairs, told Bloomberg: “When you see the kids interact with these things, it just really comes to life for them. Our goal is for that to be an incentive for them to care about and better understand the game.”

California-based Chevron and the USGA, which governs the game of golf along with the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, will create content aimed at advancing childhood science, technology, education and math programs known as STEM.

“We employ a number of engineers and scientists,” Hirshland said. “This is an inherent part of what we need in the future. The monetary component is not the driving force behind this.”

Chevron joins American Express Co. (AXP), International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), Lexus International Ltd. and Rolex Watch Co. as official USGA sponsors.

NFL’s Baltimore Ravens and Under Armour, the leader in performance apparel, footwear and accessories, are joining forces in a wide-ranging collaboration that will feature multiple community-focused initiatives.

The ten-year agreement also includes naming rights for the Ravens’ practice facility in Owings Mills, which will be renamed the Under Armour Performance Center.

“I love the Under Armour brand and am proud that it is Baltimore-based,” Steve Bisciotti, owner of the Baltimore Ravens said. “They started with football wear that players wanted, and still do. They produce great products. Under Armour is the only partner for our training center. Their success has been off the charts, and this partnership will serve as a long-term platform that will showcase to the nation the best of what two of Baltimore’s strongest companies have to offer.”

“We’ve enjoyed a great relationship with Steve and the Ravens over the years.  The Under Armour Performance Center is a facility that reflects our shared commitment to making all athletes better and to help the Ravens players excel on game-day,” said Kevin Plank, the Founder, CEO and Chairman of Under Armour. “We are even more excited that our partnership extends off-the-field, and will allow both of us to implement meaningful changes in the community.”

While both the Ravens and Under Armour have been active in improving the community, the two companies will combine to empower local youth and schools through football initiatives.  Specific youth football programs include the creation of annual grants, multiple clinics and statewide competitions.  Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and his assistants will play an active role in some of these programs, including a free Under Armour-sponsored clinic for over 400 Carroll County youth on June 16 at McDaniel College.

The creation of an annual 7-on-7 high school flag-football tournament, which already has attracted registration from 72 schools and more than 1,400 students for 2012, highlights the competitive elements of the agreement.

A visible component of the partnership is the renaming of the Ravens’ practice facility to the Under Armour Performance Center, which will host local and national media throughout the year and will showcase two of the city’s most successful corporate entities.

Under Armour recently announced the launch of a local community-based empowerment program, entitled “WIN Baltimore.” The platform is designed to spark positive social change throughout Baltimore and its surrounding neighborhoods by fueling the social, educational and physical advancement of the boys and girls who will serve as the future business and community leaders of the region.

The Ravens franchise, founded in 1996, won Super Bowl XXXV in January of 2001. The team has earned playoffs berths in five of the last six seasons, and they are the NFL’s only team to appear in the playoffs in each of the last four seasons – posting at least one victory in each of those postseasons.

BNP Paribas has extended it’sponsorship of the annual Tennis Classic tournament at The Hurlingham Club.

BNP Paribas is the leading supporter of worldwide tennis, having built a unique relationship with the sport over the past forty years. Already an official sponsor of British Tennis since 2009, BNP Paribas first became involved as a title sponsor of this tournament in the same year and the recent partnership will see the financial institution continue its support in the form of The BNP Paribas Tennis Classic at Hurlingham.

The deal includes significant brand exposure both on and off court, an on-site promotional booth for the bank’s ‘We are tennis’ brand, as well as access to players outside of the tournament. 
Among the players due to take part later this month are Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Jo Wilfried-Tsonga and Thomas Berdych, who returns to Hurlingham for the third successive year. Mark Philippoussis also returns to play in the Legends event, for which the field currently numbers nine, including Pat Cash, Henri Leconte and Mansour Bahrami.

Charlie Grave, Managing Director of Sponsorship, IMG, said: “BNP Paribas’ support will continue to strengthen the profile of a tournament which consistently attracts some of the biggest names in tennis, thus making it an appealing proposition to both spectators and businesses alike. We are extremely pleased that they have extended their sponsorship and look forward to working with them to further enhance the growing popularity of this event.”

Herbalife Ltd. announced two individual sponsorship deals with 2011 MLS Defender of the Year Omar Gonzalez and fellow defender, order Sean Franklin.

Both players play for the reigning MLS Cup champion, shop the LA Galaxy.

Dallas native Omar Gonzalez, pill the 2011 MLS Defender of the Year, as well as the Galaxy’s Defender of the Year, and a member of the MLS Best XI, renewed his individual sponsorship contract with Herbalife for a second consecutive year. As an Herbalife sponsored athlete, Gonzalez will continue using the company’s nutrition products to complement his sports nutrition and training regimen. Part of the sponsorship includes the use of his likeness in marketing materials and participation in various promotional events with Herbalife independent distributors across the U.S.

“I’ve been using Herbalife products for over two years now, and have been very pleased with the results they provide to my rigorous nutritional requirements. Now that Herbalife has its own sports performance line, Herbalife24, I can stay in top shape and in line with my nutritional needs. Being a part of the Herbalife family has been a great experience thus far,” stated Gonzalez.

Sean Franklin, one of the Galaxy’s longest tenured players having joined the club in 2008, remains one of the most athletic right backs in MLS and a key ingredient in the club’s defensive success to date. Franklin was selected by the Galaxy in the first round (4th overall) of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. Like Gonzalez, Franklin’s contract agreement makes Herbalife his official nutrition sponsor, and the company will supply him with nutrition products to help him meet his sports nutrition needs, and he will participate in Herbalife promotional events with independent distributors.

“It’s exciting to be part of the Herbalife family. I’ve been using the products Herbalife supplies in our locker room for the past couple of years and to have a closer relationship with the company and its enthusiastic independent distributors with this new partnership, it really is special,” said Franklin.

Lewis Hamilton’s first win of the season at the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix showcased Quickcomm, a global leader in Telecommunications Expense Management, logo on the car.

This was the second year that Vodafone, title partner and Total Communications Partner of the team, has put the Quickcomm logo on the team’s cars. 

Hamilton came from third with 20 laps to take victory in a Grand Prix where tyre management was crucial.

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes partnership is the biggest that Vodafone maintains worldwide. Now in its sixth season, apart from the traditional marketing initiatives, this partnership has allowed Vodafone and McLaren to collaborate in the investigation and development of many new technologies.

Quickcomm was acquired by Vodafone in 2010. It is a subsidiary of Vodafone Global Enterprise, which provides telecommunications expense management solutions to multinational customers across the globe.

Upcoming Somerset cricket star Jos Buttler will now be sponsored by South-West independent financial services company Cooper Associates.

Born and bred in Taunton, remedy Buttler, pharmacy ed 21, has been playing cricket for Somerset since September 2009 and made his debut for the England team in summer 2011.

The sponsorship is an ongoing investment in Buttler by Cooper Associates and will financially support Jos in his future endeavours and training requirements.

Samantha Cooper, director of the mortgage and insurance sector of Cooper Associates, said: “We chose to sponsor Jos as we wanted to support local talent within our area. He will be helping us by attending both charity and client events.”

Buttler said: “I am extremely grateful for the support and I am very much looking forward to building a close affiliation with Sam and Lee that helps to develop my career further.”