Red Bull Racing has agreed a partnership with the Michael Pachleitner Group to create a Red Bull Racing Eyewear collection, treat which will be available in 70 countries from the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix onwards. 

Combining style with Formula One related materials that are high-quality, medstore lightweight and robust, the collection includes branded sunglasses, frames, functional sports glasses, goggles and lenses.

Based in Graz, the Michael Pachleitner Group has been involved with the design, production, sales and international distribution of eyewear, along with the marketing of international licenses, for more than 50 years. 

Dr. Michael Pachleitner, CEO of the Michael Pachleitner Group said: “It was our ambition to develop an international sports and frames collection to fit with the Red Bull brand. It was important for us to consider the attributes that Red Bull stands for in the field of sports, adventure and competition and capture this in the Red Bull Racing Eyewear range.”

Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), unhealthy the award-winning loyalty program from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, discount Inc, today announced a three-year partnership with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team.

SPG officially launched the new global partnership at the start of Formula One’s European season at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. The details of the new partnership were announced this morning with the team and Michael Schumacher at the W Hotel in Barcelona.

Through this new partnership with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, SPG is giving its members unique access to experience exclusive Grand Prix events in incredible destinations such as Spain, Monaco, Singapore, Brazil, Abu Dhabi and more.

“We are extremely proud to be an official team partner of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team,” said Mark Vondrasek, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Loyalty and Partnership Marketing for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “SPG goes beyond gaining and redeeming points, it’s about building a deeper relationship with our guests. We want to offer our members exclusive experiences that they are most passionate about – be it sports, music or arts. Through our collaboration with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, members can connect with their passion for this entertaining world-class sport.”

With London 2012 Olympics looming, yogurt maker Chobani, a first-time sponsor of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Team USA, has announced its sponsorship of six U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls for the 2012 Games who will represent the company as Team Chobani.

Team Chobani includes: Lauren Cheney, 2012 Olympic hopeful and 2008 Olympic gold medalist, soccer, Lashinda Demus, 2012 Olympic hopeful and 2004 Olympian, track & field, Matt Grevers, 2012 Olympian and 2008 Olympic gold (x2) and silver medalist, swimming, Steven Lopez, 2012 Olympian and three-time Olympian and medalist: gold (2000 and 2004) and bronze (2008) medalist, taekwondo, John Orozco, 2012 Olympic hopeful, gymnastics and Allison Jones, 2012 Paralympic hopeful, cycling and five-time Paralympian and four-time medalist in cycling and alpine skiing in both Summer and Winter Paralympic Games: gold (2006) silver (x2, 2002), silver (2008).

“Like Chobani, these six inspiring athletes are driven by heart. We too began our journey with a dream. With hard work and the support of our amazing employees, farmers, local communities and fans, we turned an abandoned factory into a near billion dollar business in less than five years,” said Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder, President and CEO of Chobani.  “It’s an honor to be naturally powering Team Chobani and Team USA and supporting them on their journey to the London Games to help their Olympic dreams come true.”

As the official packaged yogurt provider to the USOC and Team USA, authentic strained Chobani Greek Yogurt will be made available to every athlete living or training at the U.S. Olympic Training Centers in Colorado Springs, Colo., Chula Vista, Calif., and Lake Placid, N.Y. Additionally, Chobani will follow Team USA to London where it will be served at the USA House and High Performance Training Center during the London Olympic Games. The agreement, which runs through 2014, represents a new sponsor and category addition for the USOC.

John Orozco, 2012 Olympic hopeful and Team Chobani athlete said, “It’s great to have Chobani available at the training center because it plays such an important role in my training diet by providing me with high quality protein – especially in the recovery phase of my workouts. I was hooked after the first taste.”

Team Chobani athletes will be featured in mix of TV, digital and out-of-home advertising through the conclusion of the LondonGames.

Rugby Canada has announced the appointment of Toronto-based Merit Travel Group as the organization’s Official Travel Partner leading up to the 2015 Pan Am games and 2015 Rugby World Cup.

 

Merit will provide a full service travel program to all of the National teams and programs operated by Rugby Canada.

 

Nick Taylor, Director of Commercial Operations for Rugby Canada, said: “Ensuring that our athletes arrive at their destination in the safest and most efficient manner means that they, and our management team will be able to focus on the training and competitive aspects of their tours.

 

“We are increasingly aware of the number of Canadian supporters that travel the globe to support our teams from Under 17 men through to Senior men’s and women’s 7s and 15s teams. The number of fans we have encountered in such far away destinations as Las Vegas, Hong Kong or London (for the HSBC IRB Sevens World Series) and New Zealand (for the recent 2011 Rugby World Cup) is growing all the time. This new relationship with Merit Travel will allow us to begin to cater more to these supporters and offer them a turn-key experience when it comes to their sport and leisure travel.”

 

Louise deGrandpre, Executive VP and Co-Owner of Merit Travel Group, added: “We were delighted to get the nod from the leadership at Rugby Canada. As long-standing Rugby Canada supporters, our experienced team with the support from our 50 offices and more than 500 travel professionals across Canada are thrilled to have been called-up for the opportunity to serve this world class organization.”

 

As this new relationship grows, it is Merit’s goal to become closely integrated into the Rugby Canada operations and as a key Partner to deliver outstanding travel management support services to the organization, its Executive, coaching staff, athletes, teams, officials and other supporters, including the families as Rugby Canada builds towards the 2013 World Cup 7s in Russia, the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup, the 2015 Pan Am Games and Rugby World Cup, and finally – to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio where Rugby will make its triumphant return to the world’s second biggest sporting event.

Newly-crowned Bundesliga champions, Borussia Dortmund, have renewed their deal with Signal Iduna with the insurance group keeping namings rights to their German side’s stadium.

Dortmund’s stadium will continue to be known as Signal Iduna Park, holding a 82,720-capacity home, by an additional five years until at least 2021. 

“BVB are very pleased about the continuity in our partnership which began at the end of 2005, ” said Hans-Joachim Watzke, the chief executive of Borussia Dortmund. “The contract extension through to 2021 is proof for our trust-based cooperation.” 

“BVB have gone through an impressive development process. The Signal Iduna Group will continue to support the path chosen on a long-term basis. We are looking forward to another exciting football decade at the Signal Iduna Park,” added Signal Iduna Group chief executive Reinhold Schulte. 

The stadium used to be known as the Westfalenstadio before Signal Iduna took over rights package in 2005.

 

Discuss BVB’s deal with us here

Crystal Palace Football Club have continued their partnership Jelly Communications as platinum sponsors for the 2012/13 season. 

The partnership between Palace and Jelly, which began in May 2011, has seen the business telecoms company quickly become one of the club’s most important sponsors and will see the Jelly logo and web address feature on the back of the first team kit, on the media interview background, on the front of the programme and around the ground on advertising boards. 

The platinum sponsorship supplements a three year hospitality deal which provides Jelly with an executive box and in-stadium advertising as well as exposure in the matchday programme and on official team-sheets. 

Palace’s Chief Executive, Phil Alexander, said:”We are delighted to confirm this one year sponsorship deal, the main component of which will see the Jelly logo appear on the back of the players’ shirts next season. Everyone at the club is pleased with how quickly the relationship has grown and we look forward to it continuing for many years to come.”

On the telecommunications front, Jelly manages Crystal Palace’s mobile phone contracts and has also been awarded its fixed line business with a new integrated IP telephony for 65 extensions that covers Selhurst Park and the training ground, replacing the two existing systems. 

The deal with Palace has placed Jelly on the map as a major player in the telecoms industry and has helped the company more than double their website traffic in the last six months. 

“This is a very positive and exciting partnership for Jelly Communications,” said Jelly’s Managing Director Gareth Limpenny. “As the Jelly business continues to grow, we have been looking at ways of increasing awareness and building profile and, with Palace doing well on the pitch, this seems an ideal match.”

Quicken Loans has been announced as the title sponsor of the Quicken Loans 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, June 17 after agreeing a deal with the Michigan International Speedway (MIS) in Brooklyn, Michigan.

“We saw the Quicken Loans 400 as another way to further our support of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series and to showcase our culture and focus on the client experience to the millions of NASCAR fans around the country,” said Jay Farner, President and Chief Marketing Officer for Quicken Loans. “This year marks Quicken Loans’ first season as a primary sponsor of driver Ryan Newman and Stewart-Haas Racing. This partnership with MIS will take our participation in the sport to a new level, allowing us to further connect with these amazing race fans.”

Along with its sponsorship of the Quicken Loans 400, the nation’s largest online mortgage lender is the primary sponsor of Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet for nine Sprint Cup races, and an associate sponsor for the remainder of the season. Quicken Loans also is an associate sponsor of three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart.

“Michigan International Speedway is known for the amazing fan experience and our commitment to our guests,” MIS President Roger Curtis said. “We are thrilled to partner with another awesome Michigan company to showcase all the great things this state has to offer – thrilling events and world-class companies who appreciate their customers and their employees.”

The Quicken Loans 400 will be the first race at MIS since a full repave in the fall. Based on the speeds reached by a small group of drivers during tire tests conducted by Goodyear in April, it’s expected that MIS will earn the title as the fastest track on the Sprint Cup circuit during the Quicken Loans 400.

“At Quicken Loans, we take a lot of pride in the speed at which we get our mortgage clients to the closing table. So, it seemed only fitting that we would partner with the fastest track in stock car racing,” Farner added.

European Tour’s Irish Open has secured new official sponsors in the form of leading investment management company, Brewin Dolphin.

To be played for the first time in 59 years in Northern Ireland at the Royal Portrush Golf Club from June 28 – July 1, it has already attracted World No 1 and reigning US Open champion Rory McIlroy, fellow Ulster major winners Darren Clarke (2011 British Open) and Graeme McDowel (2010 US Open) along with American Keegan Bradley, last year’s US PGA winner, and Dublin’s three-time major winner Padraig Harrington. 

Announcing their sponsorship on Wednesday, Brewin Dolphin, who have offices in both Belfast and Dublin and look after clients from all over the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland said they saw sponsorship of the Irish Open as an opportunity to raise awareness of the firm across the island. 

‘This year Brewin Dolphin is celebrating its 250th anniversary with a number of exciting initiatives such as the Chelsea Flower Show in London and the Commodores’ Cup in Cowes so adding such a prestigious event like the Irish Open to the events calendar is very fitting,” their statement added. 

Philip Browne, Marketing Director at Brewin Dolphin said: “We are so pleased to be able to join the Irish Open on The European Tour and it gives us such a wonderful platform to highlight the presence of our two nearest offices in Belfast and Dublin.” 

James Finnigan, The European Tour’s Commercial Director for the Irish Open, commented: “Brewin Dolphin is a welcome addition to The European Tour’s family of sponsors and we are delighted that they will be part of one of the most eagerly anticipated Irish Opens in many years.”

Reebok has extended it’s endorsement of Eli and Peyton Manning, committing it’s expertise t the NFL even though they no longer sponsor NFL fields.

During its decade as the NFL’s exclusive jersey supplier, Reebok used the Mannings and other high-profile quarterbacks in its marketing. With Nike displacing Reebok for NFL jersey rights over the next five years, the company could have paid a rights fee that would have kept its footwear on NFL fields, but Reebok officials recently declined to go in the same direction that Nike took for the past decade.

However, the decision to retain the Mannings, who have three Super Bowl rings between them, is an indication both of their marketing appeal and a “less is more” endorser philosophy for Reebok, which has adopted a fitness and training positioning following its 2005 acquisition by Adidas.

“Clearly, we’re still using athletes, NFL or otherwise, in our marketing,” said John Lynch, Reebok vice president and head of U.S. marketing, noting that the brand’s other NFL players under contract include San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers, New England wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and Dallas linebacker DeMarcus Ware.

Peyton Manning has been a Reebok endorser since 2002. Eli has been a Reebok endorser since entering the league in 2004.

“Do we need hundreds of athletes? We don’t think so, especially after our NFL rights have expired,” Lynch said.

The Manning brothers will be the centerpiece of a back-to-school campaign for the new and lighter version of Reebok’s Zig technology, part of an industry trend toward lightweight footwear. The campaign is scheduled to be shot in June in Peyton Manning’s new hometown of Denver.

Prior to the Adidas acquisition, Reebok had on-field apparel deals with the NBA, NFL and NHL, the latter of which is still in place. In recent years, Reebok has shifted to a more focused training and fitness positioning, supporting newer technology like that used in its Zig and Flex shoes.

“NFL athletes, or any other pro athletes, are among the most fit people and they are a great showcase for our training shoes and ‘fit for life’ positing,” Lynch said.

While the Reebok brand is smaller and has been diminished since Adidas paid $3.7 billion for it in 2005, its focused marketing around fitness has begun to pay off, as Zig and Flex lines have been hits and the brand is seeing a renaissance of sorts.

The WTA 2012 Texas Tennis Open, allergy has announced today that Come On! Apparel has signed on to be the official clothing sponsor for the ball kids and tournament officials.

The 2nd annual Texas Tennis Open, clinic which is part of the WTA, mind is an ‘International Level’ tournament with prize money of $220,000, and features a singles draw of 32 players and a doubles draw of 16 teams. The tournament, which will play host to an international field of players, will take place August 17 through August 24, 2012 at the Hilton DFW Lakes Hotel in Grapevine, Texas.

“We are extremely pleased to sign a clothing sponsor partner like Come On! Apparel, ”said Chris Giordano, Texas Tennis Open Tournament Director. “The Come On! brand is clearly a great fit with our event and we look forward to outfitting the ball kids and tournament officials with this progressive tennis apparel line.”

Come On! was also the official clothing of the ball kids at the 2012 ATP Delray Beach International Championships. Founded in 2011, the Come On! brand was developed based on the sports phrase yelled by many athletes to motivate themselves while on the court or the field.

“We are so pleased to be a part of such a great new event on the WTA tour,” said Janey Ellis, Founder of Come On!. “This event has immediately made a name for itself with its outstanding field of players in the first year and we look forward to our clothing partnership in 2012.”