Pampers Partner with Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh

Pampers has partnered with two-time Olympic Games Gold Medalist (Beach Volleyball) and Team USA Hopeful, Kerri Walsh and her family, including husband, Casey Jennings, and sons, Joseph (age 2) and Sundance (age 1), as they make their way to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

“With two sons, I know firsthand how active young babies are – their play is similar to the workouts I do as a competitive athlete each day,” commented Walsh. “As an athlete, I rely on equipment that enables me to perform at my athletic best, and as a mother, I always look for the gear that will help my sons do the same. That’s why I adore Pampers Limited Edition ‘USA’ diapers and wipes, which offer performance and style for my little champions of play, Joseph and Sundance!”

The Pampers Limited Edition “USA” diapers and wipes combine utility and aesthetics, so little ones can explore and conquer their world through play, while also amping up team pride during the London 2012 Olympic Games. The diapers feature an “USA” logo print combined with red, white and blue stars and stripe designs while the wipes packaging pays tribute to team “USA” with a similar design. Pampers Limited Edition “USA” diapers will be available in Cruisers sizes 3 through 5.

As part of their sponsorship, Pampers will be providing Limited Edition “USA” diapers and wipes to Team USA hopefuls, like Walsh, who are heading to London with their babies in tow to compete in the Olympic Games. In honor of these great athletes and parents, consumers will also be able to purchase these products at stores nationwide beginning in April.

“We’re excited to partner with Kerri Walsh and her family to introduce Limited Edition “USA” diapers and wipes, and announce our partnership with the London 2012 Olympic Games,” said John Brase, Marketing Director, Baby Care North America at Procter & Gamble. “Athlete parents always look for the latest gear to give them a competitive edge – and like other parents around the globe, we know they want the same for their babies. At Pampers, we take pride in producing gear that helps inspire babies’ unique spirit of play.”

“It’s a joy to watch my sons grow – I continually see the unique spirit of play in my little ones and it only inspires me to work harder to reach my own goals,” added Walsh. “Regardless of whether I medal, being a part of Team USA and competing in the London 2012 Olympic Games is a huge victory – not only for me, but for my entire family who are an integral part of my dream.”

Walsh’s partnership with Pampers is also an extension of Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) global sponsorship of the London 2012 Olympic Games. As part of that engagement, Pampers will launch an integrated communications program that will include sponsoring additional athletes and their families from several countries around the world. Sponsored families will participate in a multitude of campaign elements including maintaining a presence on Pampers regional social media sites, appearing in advertorials to run in local media and making live appearances at hometown events.

Jodi Allen, Vice President of U.S. Operations and Marketing, North America for P&G, said: “Babies represent the future and there’s no greater contribution we can make to their happy, healthy development than having access to programs that nurture their spirit of play. As such, P&G is committed to raising $5 million to help establish and sustain youth sports programs around the world as part of our continued ‘Thank you, Mom’ campaign efforts and larger sponsorship of Team USA during the London 2012 Olympic Games. As any Olympian will tell you, there is nothing like the support of family when training, working hard and facing tough competition. But, no one offers better support than a mom.”

by Ismail Uddin

New ATP Challenger Tour Event Dallas Tennis Classic Gets New Sponsor

The ATP sanctioned Challenger tour is coming to a new city and venue with a new sponsor beginning March 12, denture 2012.

The Dallas Tennis Classic will be held in Las Colinas, clinic at the Four Seasons Resort and Club, pill and SportMaster will be recognized as the official tennis court surface of the event.

Usually, the top 50 players are not allowed to play in Challenger events. However, there is an exception to the rules in this tournament that allows the top players ranked 11-50 to compete for the highest amount of money given in the 2012 Challenger tour. This $125,000 prize is conveniently located between the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida.

“We are proud to be associated with this exciting new Challenger event,” said Jeff Gearheart, Director of SportMaster Sport Surfaces. “The location and timing of this tournament is sure to bring in great talent and matchups”.

SportMaster is an acrylic sport surfacing brand, distributed through the SealMaster Franchise System. There are over 80 locations throughout the United States that stock the entire product line of SportMaster Sport Surfacing products, which include specialized tools and equipment for tennis court construction and resurfacing contractors.

by Ismail Uddin

Bass Pro Shops Sponsor UFC Fighter Jim Miller for Upcoming Bout

Bass Pro Shops has signed on to sponsor MMA fighter Jim Miller for his upcoming fight on May 5 against Nate Diaz for UFC on Fox 3.

Known as one of the largest retailers of outdoor sporting equipment and gear, nurse Bass Pro Shops is a highly visible brand in the hunting, fishing and outdoor sports world.

The branding of Bass Pro Shops seems like a natural fit for Miller, who is a noted outdoorsman, but even more important is the crossover appeal for a major brand like Bass Pro Shops to step in to support a MMA fighter.

“When not training or spending time with my family it is no secret that I enjoy being outdoors or working in my workshop. Walking into a Bass Pro Shop is like opening up gifts on Christmas,” Miller said via a release on Monday. “There are so many great items in the store, that I don’t know what direction to head first. It feels great to be the first fighter representing Bass Pro in the Octagon.”

In the MMA world, larger sponsors are getting involved like Bud Light and Harley Davidson promoting through the UFC, while brands like Under Armour have signed on to be represented by UFC champion Georges St-Pierre.

Still, MMA is a new sport to many large companies and despite their appeal to the key demographic of 18-34 year old males, it’s taking time for sponsors outside of the general sport’s branding to get involved.

Miller’s representatives at KOReps, who landed the deal, say that a sponsor like Bass Pro Shops getting involves shows that the crossover appeal is starting to happen more often.

“Having companies such as Bass Pro step up and sponsor UFC athletes shows the tremendous amount of value advertisers see in the MMA demographic,” said Oren Hodak, president of KOReps. “The demographic watching MMA action has always been a target market for numerous advertisers. Combine that with the viewership numbers of FOX and it made for a perfect storm. We plan to bring in more and more endemic sponsors in the near future. Other companies will one by one follow the lead of companies such as Bass Pro.”

Miller will be doing several promotions around his deal with Bass Pro Shops prior to his May 5 showdown with Nate Diaz in his home state of New Jersey.

by Ismail Uddin

Motorcycle-Superstore.com Sponsor Big Kahuna Nationals Triple Crown Series

Motorcycle-Superstore.com is revving up its event sponsorship by announcing its 2012 trophy sponsorship of the Big Kahuna Nationals Triple Crown series.

The Big Kahuna is a three event series inside the AMA Pro Road Racing championship. Each of the three events will crown a “Big Kahuna” in every road racing class, and each Big Kahuna will be presented with a Motorcycle-Superstore.com sponsored full-sized trophy surfboard, designed by Roland Sands in conjunction with Motorcycle-Superstore.com and made by Hurley Surfboards. This year’s Big Kahuna Nationals will take place at Road Atlanta on April 20th-22nd, Homestead-Miami Speedway on September 21st-23rd, and in New Orleans at the NOLA Motorsports Park on October 5th-7th. 

“I’m just excited that we can keep this program going,” said Cameron Gray, CEO of M1 PowerSports. “Especially with Motorcycle-Superstore.com stepping in, as well as the partnership with Roland Sands Designs and Hurley Surfboards, I don’t think you could ask for three better companies to partner with M1 PowerSports on these surfboards. I think it’s going to be a great thing, especially now that we can offer a surfboard trophy to each class, it gives everybody something to shoot for and gives it that classic Big Kahuna touch.” 

The Motorcycle-Superstore.com sponsored Roland Sands Designs Big Kahuna trophies are full-sized, surf-ready surfboards with motorcycle-themed graphics. The Big Kahuna Triple Crown has won “best trophy” awards in the past, and this year’s creation by Roland Sands, a former AMA Pro Road Racing Champion, will undoubtedly become a strong contender. 

“Surfing and road racing have some unique similarities most people would not recognize, so to bring the two sports together with these amazing Motorcycle-Superstore.com Big Kahuna trophies is close to my heart,” said Roland Sands. “The teams at M1 PowerSports and Motorcycle-Superstore.com have been great to work with and RSD has been fortunate enough to be in the middle of getting this idea off the ground for them. The boards themselves are not only beautiful but are really good, shredable boards. It’s almost enough to make me pull the leathers out to try and win one.” 

The first of the three Big Kahuna Nationals events takes place at Road Atlanta, about 35 miles north of Atlanta, Georgia on the weekend of April 20th-22nd, 2012.

This follows Motorcycle-Superstore.com’s recent sponsorship deals with AMA Pro Racing SuperSport and AMA Pro rider Devon McDonough.

by Ismail Uddin

Zenit St. Petersburg Secures Lucrative Sponsorship Deal with Oil Giants

Gazprom Neft has struck a $20 million sponsorship deal with Russian Soccer champions Zenit St. Petersburg that sees the football club advertise the oil giant at Russian Premier League matches.

Zenit is owned by the Gazprom Neft’s parent company, Gazprom. The head of the oil subsidiary, Alexander Dyukov, is the club’s president.

The advertising deal runs through the end of the year and is effective for all of Zenit’s domestic league and cup games.

Gazprom Neft earlier this year helped save the FC Tom Tomsk football club from bankruptcy, plowing in $3.25 million in exchange for a 25 percent stake.

The company, known as Sibneft until 2005 when Gazprom bought a 73 percent stake, also sponsors the Avangard Omsk team in the Kontinental Hockey League.

Gazprom Neft, controlled by the Russian government, is the country’s fifth-largest oil producer.

Fort Box Self Storage Sponsor Major League Baseball Players Skills Camp in London

Fort Box Self Storage, London and Oxford’s premier storage company, will be co-sponsoring with Merrill Corporation a Major League Baseball Players Skills Camp on Sunday the 18th of March 2012.

The event will be held indoors at the Canary Wharf, London E14 9SB from 10:30 to 17:00. Registered players will meet and learn from former professional MLB players on the fundamentals of playing baseball.

“Being an active member of our community is one of the core values of the company,” stated Hugh Knowles of Fort Box, who operates a bespoke self-storage centre in the heart of St. John’s Wood, London.

Don Guiney, commissioner of London Sports, added: “We are excited to have Fort Box support our event and look forward to their participation in making the event a success.”

by Ismail Uddin

Michelin to Sponsor Goodwood Festival of Speed

Michelin will sponsor this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed which takes place from 29 June to 1 July.

As well as having a stand, pills Michelin will also be the sponsor of the Supercar Paddock and Supercar Run to highlight its links with manufacturers of some of the world’s fastest cars.

The Michelin stand at the Festival of Speed will feature a number of high performance cars and motorcycles, as well as a Le Mans wheel change challenge that will give visitors a chance to win some great prizes by setting the fastest times of the day and weekend. There will also be a display highlighting Michelin’s motorsport involvement – past and present.

The stand will also showcase some of Michelin’s newest products including the latest generation of the Company’s low-rolling resistance Energy Saver tyre and the recently launched Pilot Alpin and Latitude Alpin cold weather tyres. Detailed information clearly explaining the imminent tyre labelling legislation which will be introduced to the UK in November will also form part of the display – hopefully helping consumers see that choosing tyres can be as straightforward as choosing a fridge..

At the Supercar Paddock there will be a display of Michelin’s range of high performance tyres, including the highly-acclaimed Pilot Super Sport which is original equipment on cars including Ferrari’s 458 Italia, FF, 599 GTO and F12berlinetta, the Gumpert Apollo R and the Koenigsegg Agera R.

Making numerous appearances throughout the weekend, the Michelin Man will be available to meet visitors and pose for photographs with his fans.

by Ismail Uddin

Yokohama Tire Corporation Partners with NBA’s Houston Rockets

Yokohama Tire Corporation has agreed a partnership with the National Basketball Association’s Houston Rockets for the second consecutive year.

During the ‘Home Team Pride’ program, cialis consumers will receive an $85 gift card to the Rockets’ Pro Shop with the purchase of four Yokohama tires from participating local dealers

“This partnership with the Rockets will enable Yokohama to execute promotions designed to drive foot traffic to local dealers, site ” said Shawn Denlein, drugs Yokohama director of sales, Consumer Products. “The tie-in will score with our dealers and their customers in this market.”

As the Official Tire of the Houston Rockets, Yokohama will receive significant media exposure, including spots on the team’s radio network and team website, in-arena signage at the Toyota Center in Houston, and usage of the team’s logo for the ‘Home Team Pride’ promotion.

“Sport sponsorships offer far-reaching brand visibility and capitalize on fan loyalty,” said Denlein. “They also allow us to showcase our world-class line-up of tires, including the new orange oil-infused AVID Ascend, the ADVAN and the Geolandar A/T-S.”

In addition to the Rockets, Yokohama’s 2012 sports sponsorships also include deals with two Major League Baseball teams Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Philadelphia Phillies, as well as three National Football League teams –Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots.

by Ismail Uddin

UFC Extend Sponsorship Deal with SafeAuto

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) have announced a sponsorship renewal with SafeAuto through 2012.

SafeAuto, medstore a leading auto insurance carrier headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, provides coverage to automobile drivers in 15 states.

Under this agreement, SafeAuto has a sponsorship presence in nine different UFC events throughout the year, including Octagon signage at select UFC on FOX, UFC on FX and UFC on FUEL TV events.

SafeAuto will continue sponsoring individual fighters during UFC events in 2012. The company has its own “SafeAuto Fight Team,” complete with a website dedicated to information about its sponsored fighters.

“SafeAuto is happy to continue our sponsorship of the UFC,” said SafeAuto President Jon Diamond. “Fans of the UFC appreciate all the hard work that these athletes put into mixed martial arts.  We look forward to continuing our support for this growing sport, as well as the athletes themselves.”

Mike Mossholder, UFC Vice President of Global Marketing Partnerships, added: “SafeAuto has been a great partner for the UFC and we are excited to continue working with them as we get ready for some of the biggest years in UFC history.”

by Ismail Uddin

Netherlands Cricket Team Gets ABN Amro as New Sponsor

The Royal Dutch Cricket Association (KNCB) have signed an exclusive deal with ABN Amro, who will back the Netherlands team until the end of 2015 and also support the team’s preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup, to be hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand during February-March 2015.

Announcing the deal, Ernst Boekhorst, ABN Amro’s Sponsoring and Events Manager said: “Cricket is very popular in a number of countries where we are seeking to grow our activities — particularly in Asia and the Middle East, where the sport is widely watched on television. The sponsorship agreement with the KNCB will help increase ABN Amro’s international visibility and we look forward to supporting the Dutch cricket team’s ambitious plans in the lead up to the next ICC World Cup.”

by Ismail Uddin