Sponsorships

Sunoco is bringing together four of NASCAR’s top drivers—Dale Earnhardt Jr. Tony Stewart Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson—with Orange County Choppers (of Discovery Channel’s “American Chopper” fame) to design a custom motorcycle for each driver. Sunoco is the fuel category sponsor of both NASCAR and OCC. The drivers put their own personal touches on the design and each will be immortalized with his bike on an autograph trading card called a “hero card ” complete with a photo of the driver and his bike on the front and vital stats on the back.
 

Visa is taking a cinematic approach to its newest sponsorship. The company has partnered with the 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) the oldest and largest international timed filmmaking competition as sponsor of the 48HFP 2007 Tour and title sponsor of the “Life Takes” Invitational which will provide one amateur filmmaker with the opportunity to showcase his or her work in front of entertainment and advertising executives. The grand prize winner also will receive a Visa prepaid card worth $10 000 to help fund future projects.
 

Sharp Electronics kicked off its three-year deal as the HDTV category sponsor of Major League Baseball with a major on-site presence at the 2007 MLB All-Star Game held last week in San Francisco. The company featured MLB content on its AQUOS HD LCD TVs in three locations including a 40-foot-by-40-foot sports den (think fantasy living room for dudes) at DHL All-Star FanFest a 40-foot-by-50-foot tent in the Sponsor Zone and at three gaming stations and computer kiosks where consumers could enter the Sharp MLB Sweepstakes which launched at the event.

Wrigley’s is bringing five of its chewing gum brands together under one umbrella deal that will make the company—and its brands—the category sponsor for the NBA.  As such the five brands—Big Red Doublemint Juicy Fruit Winterfresh and Wrigley’s Spearmint—will share status as the official chewing gum of the NBA.
 

At next February’s Daytona 500 Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be wearing a new set of racing stripes. Three to be exact. Earnhardt Jr. last week announced a multiyear partnership with adidas which will include a line of Dale Jr. racing footwear apparel and accessories including his own racing suit and footwear plus a line of fan footwear and apparel. Earnhardt Jr. is only the fourth athlete to have his own adidas clothing line. (David Beckham inked a deal earlier this year. Reggie Bush and Tracy McGrady also have endorsement deals.)