Restaurant chain, allergy | Tim Hortons, arthritis has been named title sponsor of the National Hockey League’s 2012 All-Star game in Ottawa, a first ever title sponsor of a All-Star event.

The sponsorship agreement will result in prime on-ice logo placement for Tim Hortons during the All-Star game on Jan.29, as well as a strong presence in promotions for the game on CBC, the NHL Network, NHL.com and NHL Radio.

Tim Hortons will also sponsor other All-Star weekend activities, such as an elimination shootout during the league’s individual skills competition.

According to Rob Forbes, senior director of regional marketing and national promotions for Tim Hortons, the company will promote the game nationally via in-store signage and amplify its efforts in the Ottawa area with initiatives such as an All-Star-themed doughnut.

Forbes said the characteristics of the league’s All-Star weekend mirror Tim Hortons’ own approach to hockey, including its Timbits minor hockey program for children. “The whole idea of the All Star game is that it’s a place where players and fans come together and it’s an opportunity to just have fun and relax and enjoy the game,” said Forbes. “It sort of reinforces our position that the game should be about fun.”

Both Forbes and Kyle McMann, vice-president of partnership marketing for the NHL, said the All-Star agreement was a chance to strengthen the relationship between the league and Tim Hortons, which sponsors several NHL teams and has featured players such as Sidney Crosby in its advertisements.

“The Heritage Classic was the first time the league had worked with Tim Hortons in a sponsorship capacity and it certainly opened the door for us to work together,” said McMann. “Without the Heritage Classic in the calendar this year, we both thought about ways that we could bring to life their partnership and their connection to hockey in a powerful way.”

McMann said further sponsorship announcements related to the 2012 All-Star game would be forthcoming in the next several weeks.

MBT, stuff the original physiological footwear brand, viagra price announced a multi-faceted sponsorship with Tera Moody, medstore three-time World Championship Marathon team member and U.S. hopeful in the 2012 Olympic Marathon trials.

Moody, a longtime fan of MBT, is just one of many accomplished athletes who wear the curved-sole footwear pre- and post-training for help with aching joints and muscle recovery.

“I’ve been wearing MBTs for years and I definitely think they prevent injury. As someone who runs 100 miles a week, I put an incredible strain on my body,” said Tera. “With MBTs, I know I am taking good care of my feet and supporting them so I can stay healthy. MBT is a brand that I believe in and I’m excited to be spreading the word about them!”

For the remainder of 2011 and continuing into 2012, Moody will be featured in MBT’s print advertising, in-store visuals and graphics, and marketing materials. She will make appearances at tradeshows and marathon expos on behalf of the brand, as well as engage in various social media efforts for MBT.

Powered by patented technology, MBTs simulate walking barefoot on soft, natural terrain and can help activate protective muscles, improve posture and increase circulation for maximum recovery. Athletes of all kinds have been using MBT as a recovery shoe worldwide for 15 years and in July 2010, Runner’s World voted MBT “Best [shoe] for Off Days.”

David Ludd, MBT’s Director of Marketing, said: “We are honored to be partnering with such an elite and credible figure in the running world. MBT is all about keeping people active, comfortable and performing at their best. Tera’s personal and authentic testimonial for MBT validates our footwear as a recovery tool for athletes.”

National carrier Kenya Ariways has renewed its sponsorship of the national rugby sevens team, abortion unveiling a KES 290 million ($2.1m) package at a ceremony held at their headquarters in Embakasi, generic Nairobi.

Kenya Rugby Union Chairman Mwangi Muthee, abortion while accepting the sponsorship package on behalf of the team, said: “ This team belongs to the Kenyan people and it is our responsibility as the Kenya Rugby Union to keep developing this team so that we become a world class team. Our competitors are knocking on the door and it is up to the team to make themselves worthy of the investment that Kenyans are putting in them so that they remain at the top.”

He also called on fans to turn out in large numbers this coming weekend when the Kenyan team defends its title when the Safaricom Sevens kicks off at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium from November 4-6. “ The competition will be stiff, we have strong teams coming in from all corners of the world. I would like to assure all the fans and players that we are working with all the Kenyan security apparatus to deliver  a great tournament. I call on everyone, young and old to turn out at the Nyayo National Stadium in large numbers and enjoy great rugby sevens action.”

The renewed sponsorship will see the airline commit a substantially higher amount of money that translates to a wide raft of enhanced benefits for the National 7’s Rugby Team.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Kenya Airways Group Human Resources Director Mr. Alban Mwendar said sport was a key pillar of the airline’s engagement with its market.

“Rugby is a popular event, which has been a major platform not just for marketing Kenya as a destination for sports tourism but also giving the sport a higher profile in this country and beyond. Kenya Airways, The Pride of Africa, is proud to be associated with this sport,” he added.

In what is a first for the National Rugby 7’s team, Kenya Airways will pay monthly salaries for 18 players and 4 technical bench members including the Team Manager, Coach, Assistant Coach and Team physiotherapist. This will enable the team to focus more time in training thus ensuring higher quality of play.

Mr. Mwendar noted, “We have renewed our commitment to the team since we first entered into this partnership two years ago and we appreciate that one of the major challenges relates to ensuring that our team is made up of professionals who play rugby and earn a living from it. It is for this reason that we saw it fit to ensure that our sponsorship includes a monthly allowance that will allow the players to concentrate on the sport.”

Other enhancements in the renewed sponsorship include a medical insurance cover for the team. As in the past, Kenya Airways will provide tickets for the team and officials travelling for all matches in the IRB series.

To further encourage the team, Kenya Airways sponsorship includes the payment of bonuses to the team. Each time the team advances to the quarter finals, each team member will receive a bonus of US$ 1000 while advances to semi finals will earn each team members a US$ 2000 bonus. Should the team reach the finals of the IRB series, Kenya Airways sponsorship will ensure that each team member receives US$ 3,000 in bonus while a bonus of US$ 5,000 will be paid should the team win the series.

Mr. Mwendar added: “We want to bring back the glory of the National 7’s Rugby team. To encourage them to aim for the top, we have worked out this bonus structure in consultation with the Kenya Rugby Limited so that players can be rewarded for the advances that they make in the series. ”

Moët & Chandon, cialis the world’s leading champagne house, have announced a 3-year agreement with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) that brings Moët & Chandon on board as the Official Champagne of the ATP World Tour.

As part of the agreement, Moët & Chandon will become a global sponsor of the ATP World Tour, a Gold Sponsor of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 in London, and the official presenting sponsor of the annual ATP World Tour Awards. In addition, Moët & Chandon will sponsor a new exclusive red carpet charity gala to kick off the ATP’s crown jewel event in London, hosted by Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity on 17th November at Battersea Power Station.

Focused on celebrating memorable moments on the ATP World Tour throughout the season, the sponsorship will be activated through a range of promotional initiatives onsite at tournaments, across ATP digital channels, and the ATP’s weekly TV magazine show, ATP World Tour Uncovered.

Adam Helfant, ATP Executive Chairman and President, said: “We happily welcome Moët & Chandon as the new official champagne of the ATP World Tour and Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Moët & Chandon is a global luxury brand that fits perfectly with the game of tennis. We look forward to celebrating many great moments together and raising money for an important cause this November.”

Daniel Lalonde President and CEO of Moët & Chandon, added: “Showcasing success is one of Moët & Chandon’s original values, and one which clearly resonates at ATP World Tour events. Tennis, in addition to brilliant matches and victories on court, is a perfect complement to our partnership with cinema, offering red carpet moments of its own, and providing new opportunities to share the magic of Moët & Chandon with the world.”

Liverpool Football Club has added to its portfolio of sponsors by agreeing a new partnership with Stanley Black and Decker Inc with the US-based hardware company becoming the club’s official partner in the tools and security categories on a worldwide basis.

Stanley Black and Decker Inc has been raising its profile globally through the Barclays Premier League during the past two seasons, and now it has partnered with a globally popular football brand. They also recently secured a partnership with Fulham that iSportconnect reported on Friday.

LFC Managing Director Ian Ayre said: “The Stanley and Black & Decker brands enjoy great heritage and tradition, much like Liverpool FC, and we look forward to working with Stanley Black and Decker on a global basis.

“Stanley is an excellent organisation and fits very well into our family of sponsors and we are proud to join them and help take their engagement with football fans to the next level. The deal comes at an exciting time for Liverpool FC as we continue to announce a number of new partners, which will strengthen our commercial business.”

Scott Bannell, VP of Global Corporate Brand Management for Stanley Black & Decker, added: “We are a 168-year-old company, and we are excited to be partnering with a club such as Liverpool that was founded in 1892, and is the most successful and iconic football club in the EPL, and one of the most popular and well-known football clubs in the world. Its rich history and tradition of excellence makes Liverpool a perfect fit with our own brands.

“Liverpool’s heritage as a football powerhouse, its passionate and global fan base with more than 200 fan clubs in more than 40 countries, and dedication to success, is all in perfect keeping with our strategic goals to support and increase global brand recognition and sales activities for our portfolio of world class brands.

“This partnership with Liverpool FC will play an important role in continuing to effectively promote the Stanley Black & Decker portfolio of brands, and we are excited to now be a part of the Liverpool FC family.”

Etisalat, find Afghanistan telecommunications company, erectile have extended their partnership with the Afghan cricket board in a bid to boost and promote Afghanistan cricket team.

The partnership renewal was announced in the presence of Shahzada Masood, price buy Vice Chairman Afghanistan Cricket Board, Yasser Aboul Amayem, Chief Commercial Officer Etisalat Afghanistan, Nasimullah Danish, CEO Afghanistan Cricket Board, and a number of other senior representatives from both sides.

Vice Chairman of Afghanistan Cricket Board Shahzada Massod said, the Afghan Cricket Board greatly appreciated the long standing partnership with Etisalat Afghanistan.

Mr. Shahzada Masood also said, Afghan youths are optimistic regarding their future, with rise of cricket in Afghanistan.

Yasser Aboul Amayem, Chief Commercial Officer Etisalat Afghanistan, added: “Etisalat Afghanistan remains committed in empowering Sports in Afghanistan. We have stood shoulder to shoulder with Afghanistan Cricket Board for the promotion and development of cricket in general and the youth of Afghanistan in particular.”

Mr. Amayem further added, we see this as a journey as well as an excellent opportunity to tap the talent of younger segment of the society, encouraging them towards healthy and prosperous activities and there is no better platform available than Sports to give them exposure and a chance to show their skills on the world stage.

Afghanistan National Cricket Team has gained the ICC One Day International Status (ODI) till 2013, besides being ranked among the top ten cricket playing nations across the globe.
Afghanistan National Cricket Team is also considered to be the reigning champions of ICC Inter Continental Trophy.

After turbulent financial times for NASCAR there is finally some good news on the commercial front as UPS has agreed to remain with the motorsport series as the sport’s official delivery service, and also agreed to remain with Roush-Fenway Racing, although in an associate-sponsor capacity, and with a different car.

For the last three seasons, UPS has sponsored the No. 6 Ford of David Ragan. But the sponsor will now switch to the No. 99 of Carl Edwards, where it will be an associate sponsor. UPS will be Edwards’ primary sponsor at the Kentucky race.

The decision to continue with NASCAR in an official capacity for a 13th season and Roush Fenway Racing as a sponsor for a fourth season was driven by the positive growth UPS has enjoyed through its direct involvement in the sport.

Ron Rogowski, UPS vice president, sponsorships and events, said: “UPS has enjoyed a great relationship with NASCAR and our official status allows us to continue providing logistics solutions for other great NASCAR partners both at and away from the racetrack. The shift in our program was a strategic business decision that allows us to focus on the elements that drive the best return on our investment, including continuing our relationship with Roush Fenway Racing.”

UPS also will continue its successful customer and employee hospitality activations at select events throughout the year in addition to serving as primary sponsor on the No. 99 Ford at Kentucky Speedway.

“We are always evaluating ways to refine and enhance all of our sponsorship programs to ensure they are aligned with our business strategy and objectives,” continued Rogowski. “While we’re making some changes to our racing program in 2012, we are confident UPS’s ongoing association with NASCAR and Roush Fenway Racing will continue to present new and meaningful opportunities for UPS, our customers and employees.”

Jim O’Connell, chief sales officer, NASCAR, added: “We are pleased that UPS will continue as a partner in our sport at multiple levels. NASCAR works for business because our fans are among the most brand loyal in all of sports. UPS is a world-class company and one that we are proud to call our partner.”

Following Valencia’s Twitter account promotion last month of placing their twitter handle instead of their shirt sponsor, Mexican Primera Division side Jaguares have taken this idea to new heights.

In a bid to get their players (and beer sponsor) a few more followers, the club, which was founded in 2002, replaced their actual names on the back of their shirts with each player’s individul Twitter handle. The club also colored the lettering on the orange home shirts in a Twitter teal along with the social networking site’s bird logo.

Some clubs and leagues around the world already publish player Twitter accounts on official websites and programs, so this is kind of a genius way to spread the word on that method of fan interaction even further. Of course, it also proves that we are all nothing more than Twitter accounts.

A lack of shirt sponsors has caused many clubs to take this avenue and take advantage of the marketing space.

Stanley Black & Decker, stomach the world’s largest tools and security company, have announced a new sponsorship with Fulham FC for the next two seasons.

Under the terms of agreement the company will be known as the Official and Exclusive Tools and Security Partner of Fulham FC and will contain a few elements to the marketing, including highly visible LED perimeter advertising that will be the anchor of the program and will feature branding for the Stanley, DEWALT and Black & Decker brands throughout the Club’s home matches. The agreement also contains a variety of other top-level marketing and promotional elements that will allow Stanley Black & Decker to promote the association with Fulham FC across a wide range of global channels.

Scott Bannell, VP of Global Corporate Brand Management for Stanley Black & Decker, said: “As a 168 year old company, we’re excited at this opportunity to partner with a club such as Fulham, the oldest continuously active professional club in London, that also has a long history and tradition similar to our own.

“Fulham’s long footballing tradition, its passionate fan base, the fan friendly atmosphere of Craven Cottage, and global LED exposure that is among the best in the EPL, is all in perfect keeping with our strategic goals. In essence to support and increase global brand recognition and sales activities for our portfolio of world class brands.”

“This partnership with Fulham FC will play an important role in continuing to effectively promote the Stanley Black & Decker portfolio of brands, and we are excited to now be a part of the Fulham FC family.”

Alistair Mackintosh, CEO Fulham Football Club added: “Fulham Football Club is delighted to announce a new partnership with Stanley Black & Decker, a brand with a long and impressive history. We look forward to developing this partnership over the next two seasons through joint activation programmes and a considerable match day presence.”

Leading North American financial institutuion CIBC have announced that it has signed a sponsorship deal to become the Lead Partner of the 2015 Pan American and Parapan Am Games, to be held in the Greater TorontoArea in July and August, 2015.

Gerald T. McCaughey, President and CEO, CIBC, said: “As the 2011 Guadalajara Games come to a close over the weekend, CIBC wants to congratulate the Guadalajaraorganizing committee, Team Canada and all participants for a memorable event. As the spotlight now turns to 2015, CIBC looks forward to working with the Torontoorganizing committee to make the 2015 Games a tremendous success.”

CIBC’s sponsorship is more than just financial support for the Games. Beyond the monetary contribution, CIBC’s partnership includes a comprehensive national marketing strategy, professional resources, legacy scholarships and athlete support, cultural program management, and a proven track record of grassroots engagement and community activation.

Stephen Forbes, CIBC’s Executive Vice-President of Marketing and Communications, commented: “An international sporting and cultural event such as the Toronto 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games is an enormous opportunity for Canada, for Ontario and for the Greater Toronto region. We are proud to associate our brand with what will no doubt be a significant event that will inspire a generation of young athletes and be a source of tremendous pride for our communities.”

Roger Garland, Chair, TO2015 Board of Directors, added: “We are extremely pleased by this incredible show of support from CIBC. Having one of Canada’s leading financial services organizations stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us as we present these Games to our city, the province, the country and the world, is indeed a privilege.”

With 42,000 employees, one of the largest banking networks in Canada and the Caribbean, and a proud history of innovation and community leadership, CIBC is uniquely qualified to be an invaluable and highly engaged strategic partner for TO2015.

CIBC’s history of successful sponsorship activation programs is extensive and includes significant experience with volunteer engagement, proven capabilities in building awareness and consumer action through innovative fully integrated marketing campaigns and fresh creative thinking, deep-rooted community and business relationships, and proven success in connecting with Canada’s diverse communities.