AirAsia X gets on board for three year deal with Renault Clio Cup UK

The Stephane Ratel Organisation (SRO) has announced a three-year title sponsorship deal for the now re-named AirAsia Renault Clio Cup UK.

AirAsia X, the leading long-haul low fare affiliate of AirAsia, is the title sponsor for the 2011–2013 seasons, with the airline's distinctive logo appearing on all cars, race suits and podiums. Support will include a number of marketing initiatives and competitor incentives.

"AirAsia X is an exciting, developing brand and one which is a good match to the dynamic and vibrant Renault Clio Cup UK", said SRO General Manager Lisa Crampton. "We only took over the running of the championship two months ago, so to secure a title sponsor in this short time is fantastic. I can't wait for the relationship to take off!"

The sponsorship opens the door to a variety of prizes for entrants in the AirAsia Renault Clio Cup UK, including a "summer break" family trip for four to Kuala Lumpur for the mid-season points leader and premium seat return flights for the champion.

"We have long associated our brand with excitement and dynamism – both hallmarks of the AirAsia heritage", says Azran Osman-Rani, CEO of AirAsia X. "The Renault Clio Cup is fast and thrilling and we are proud to be on board. The sponsorship addresses our commitment towards building the AirAsia X brand, and we are very pleased to be sponsoring such a distinguished championship".

AirAsia X flies from London Stansted to its hub in Kuala Lumpur. The airline operates the A340 aircraft for the route, with a seats configuration of eighteen Premium Flatbeds and 309 Economy seats.

The RIAS ITV3 sponsorship is the first public exposure for the brand's new Reasons campaign, positioning RIAS as expertly equipped to tailor its range of products and services to meet each one of its customer's individual needs. The adverts feature key messages including the personal touch, dedicated support, feeling at home and experience having its rewards.

Working in partnership with The Black Hole, the new RIAS creatives celebrate that no two customers are the same and that everyone should be treated as an individual, shunning stereotypes of over 50s.

Sarah Howe, Marketing Director at RIAS, commented: "Our ITV3 sponsorship is a fantastic opportunity to further build our brand. This is the ideal platform for RIAS to reach its diverse, individual customer base and bring to life some of the many reasons why our customers have chosen RIAS as their insurance provider, protecting and safeguarding the things that matter to them".

"I am delighted that Dance Central is sponsoring my European tour, it's a perfect synergy. My fans will also have a chance to put their own dance moves to the test as 'Can’t Get You Out Of My Head' is one of the tracks on Dance Central – good luck!", said Kylie.

Negotiated internally by Xbox EMEA and EMI Music, the sponsorship will be supported by a multi-channel European marketing campaign asking fans the question, "Can you out dance Kylie?", and will run across all Xbox social media, online and Xbox LIVE destinations and be featured on Kylie's own channels. With a significant investment in paid online media, public relations and experiential activity, Xbox continues to widen its appeal among broader consumers following the launch of Kinect for Xbox 360.

Having begun in Herning, Demark on 19th February and culminating in London, England on 12th April, 2011, the European tour will immerse those attending the show in Dance Central as it becomes a prominent part of each concert experience. Following a highly successful experiential campaign in the lead up to launch, Xbox will install Kinect pods featuring Dance Central at each venue, inviting fans to play the game and find out whether they can "out-dance Kylie" by performing the in-game routine to her track.

Xbox has also been given exclusive backstage access to the Aphrodite: Les Folies rehearsals, from which it will create a series of web-episodes that will include interviews with Kylie on different aspects of the show.

The content will be released across Xbox's European Facebook pages over the course of the tour and is part of a wider online content strategy to reach both Kylie and Kinect for Xbox 360 fans and promote the tour partnership. Fans will also be invited to submit videos of themselves giving their best performance to the "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" routine to win prizes.

Chris Lewis, Vice President Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft EMEA said: "Kylie is one of the most successful and much-loved artists in the world - a perfect fit for an entertainment brand like Xbox. We're delighted to be involved in the Aphrodite: Les Folies Tour 2011 and introduce the controller-free fun of Kinect and Dance Central to thousands of Kylie's European fans in a new, engaging and entertaining way".

In addition, DHL will work with the Manchester United Foundation in the development of a series of programmes to improve the lives of vulnerable young people in local communities. More detail on the specific initiatives will follow in coming months.

David Wilson, Senior Vice President Sales, DHL Express (Europe), said: "This agreement adds another world-class property to our wider portfolio of global logistics partnerships. Teaming up with prestigious partners such as Manchester United reflects our ability to provide unparalleled logistics services for quality-focused customers across the industry".

Phil Couchman, Chief Executive Officer, DHL Express (UK & Ireland), said: "By partnering with Manchester United we have teamed up with a brand whose international footprint mirrors our own. A major part of our business is to help businesses grow by offering them an efficient and effective international offer. The way that Manchester United has grown from humble beginnings formed by a group of railway workers into a worldwide brand with 333 million followers shows how small businesses can emerge into world leaders".

Manchester United's Chief Executive, David Gill, expressed his delight in announce the deal: "DHL are a globally recognised organisation and their commitment to excellence and high standards makes them an ideal partner for Manchester United. I'm delighted to welcome them to our family of sponsors and look forward to the opportunities this partnership will create".

Manchester United's Commercial Director, Richard Arnold, said: "This deal underlines the continuing global strength of Manchester United. DHL are a like-minded global brand with a track record in sports sponsorship and a strong presence in many of our key territories around the world.

"We're excited at the opportunities this partnership will create for DHL and for our fans around the world".

Photo: Man Utd and DHL Executives exchanging gifts

The 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium will be one of the most iconic images of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It will host the Athletics competition and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and be watched by a global audience of around four billion people.

As LOCOG's commercial sponsorship programme draws to a close, this is one of the last high-profile opportunities for a corporate sponsor to gain an association with the London 2012 Games. IOC guidelines do not allow branding in venues, so the wrap will not display sponsor logos at Games time.

The opportunity to tender for the Stadium wrap was published on the London 2012 business opportunities website, CompeteFor, on 7th February 2011, with a deadline for expressions of interest by 18th February, 2011.

LOCOG CEO Paul Deighton commented: "We have had significant interest in supplying the stadium 'wrap' from the private sector, so now is the time to start a formal tender process. There are some exciting ideas around, and we are running a process that is fair to those organisations that have expressed an interest".

"We are delighted to welcome 888.com back into darts as the title sponsor for the Premier League Darts", said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.

"This tournament has emerged as the biggest indoor sporting event in the country in recent years and we look forward to welcoming a record number of fans to the country's fifteen biggest arenas. With television coverage being shown worldwide, the 888.com Premier League Darts will provide an ideal showcase for 888.com's online casino and poker brands".

888.com previously sponsored the inaugural Premier League Darts season in 2005, which was won by Phil Taylor when he defeated Colin Lloyd in the final in Manchester. Adi Soffer-Te'eni, Managing Director of 888.com, stated: "We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to once again be involved with this event.

"Over the years the Premier League Darts has grown substantially and now with an international reach we feel it's the perfect time to align our brands again."

The 888.com Premier League Darts will feature reigning champion Phil Taylor, World Champion Adrian Lewis, James Wade, Gary Anderson, Simon Whitlock, Raymond van Barneveld, Terry Jenkins and Mark Webster.

Every night will be screened live on Sky Sports HD, with the opening night at The O2 in London on Thursday, February 10th, also live on Sky 3D.

The new sponsorship was launched by Scotland players, Mike Blair, Nick De Luca and Ross Rennie at Murrayfield.

As pioneers of the children's bottled water market, Highland Spring will be working closely with Scottish Rugby to inspire and motivate youngsters to take up active sports like rugby, as well as championing healthier drinking habits.

Highland Spring already supplies water to six of the AVIVA premiership rugby teams and eighteen Scottish rugby clubs, including current champions Currie and cup holders Ayr.

As the UK's leading produced brand of bottled water, Highland Spring says it is committed to supporting sport at all levels and to encouraging people to adopt a healthier and more active lifestyle. Head of sponsorship Claire Wilson said: "Highland Spring is a passionate supporter of British sport and this partnership further demonstrates our commitment to UK rugby. We are extremely proud of our new association with Scottish Rugby and wish the Scotland squad the best of luck in the forthcoming RBS 6 Nations Championship".

Mike Blair , Scotland and Edinburgh scrum-half, said: "As players we all understand the importance of hydrating properly. Highland Spring is a proud Scottish company and we are delighted to receive their backing".

Richard Chessor, Scottish Rugby’s lead nutritionist, added: "Being hydrated is an important part of maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle for any individual; however it's vital for the elite rugby player to maintain their exercise performance. Dehydration can have a significant effect on the ability to maintain exercise intensity and recover between training sessions or matches. This new relationship between Scottish Rugby and Highland Spring will help ensure our players are well-hydrated to support their performance".

The Ducati theme is further enhanced with title sponsorship of the prestigious new Ducati 848 Challenge which takes in five BSB rounds as well as visits to the iconic Assen and Monza circuits in the Netherlands and Italy respectively.

Finally, the BSB official sponsorship will ensure category exclusive rights of association, trackside advertising visibility and innovatively, support of the BSB Championships highly regarded medical team.

Rapid Solicitors' Andrew Baldwin said: "The association with a top racing team, the legendary Ducati marque and the UK's top motorsport series is a terrific fit for Rapid Solicitors. We are already involved in football, rugby and ice hockey projects but this is by far our biggest sports sponsorship. It's a great honour to be associated with Ducati and BSB and to mark the event we have rebranded the entire business to match the Ducati team's traditional colours of red, white and green".

Ridersmotorcycles team owner Phil Jessopp said: "This is without doubt the most exciting moment in the history of our team and we are all really motivated for the forthcoming season. We have undergone development work on the Ducatis over the winter and know that this is the time to take the team to the next level.

"We have a strong test schedule as we want Michael (Rutter) and Martin (Jessopp) to be inside the top six in the Showdown for the title at the end of the season. We also have a young pretender in Michael Booth lining up in the Superstock class and hope that the team's experience can put him on a winning track".

BSB Series Director Stuart Higgs commented on the sponsorship: "I am really pleased to welcome Rapid Solicitors on board to BSB and hope this is the start of a long and successful partnership. The positioning of Rapid Solicitors across three diverse elements of BSB will be very powerful and demonstrates how partnerships with BSB can be specially tailored. The expansion of the Ducati team and the new Ducati 848 Challenge are further boosts to the overall health of the Series".

Alexis Nasard, Chief Commercial Officer, Heineken N.V. said: "There are no bigger, global or more spectacular events than the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. We selected this opportunity as it fully reflects Heineken's global brand position. It also provides a wonderful platform for the promotion of responsible drinking.

"Based on the experiences gained from being a long-term sponsor of premier sporting events such as the UEFA Champions League and the Rugby World Cup we will utilise London 2012 to celebrate with the world in a way that only Heineken can do".

Stefan Orlowski, Managing Director, Heineken UK, said: "We are delighted to secure this sponsorship and supply agreement with the London 2012 Games. We look forward to working with LOCOG to capitalise on the exciting opportunities it offers for the Heineken brand and Heineken UK. It is a significant investment and undertaking for the company and one that can help build pride amongst all our colleagues, business partners and consumers across the UK".

In December 2010, Coutts sponsored the Royal Court's first ever family Christmas show, Get Santa! The play was for seven year olds and upwards and followed a ten-year old girl, Holly, in her quest to find the perfect family.

Elsewhere, the Coutts Arts Festival was a three-day event held between January 18th and 20th, which included sponsorship support for performances at the Royal College of Music, Rose Theatre, English National Opera, Hampstead Theatre, Welsh National Opera, Young Vic, Opera North, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and at the Royal Court.

Coutts is also investing quite heavily in sponsorship at regional theatres, including recent support for productions at The Lyceum in Sheffield and the Theatre Royal in Newcastle.

"Some forms of corporate hospitality, gifts and even sponsorships may constitute bribery under the Act", it said in a statement today. "The penalties can include unlimited fines for companies and heavy prison sentences for both employees and officials of companies".

The delay follows an outcry from some companies against the Act saying it is too onerous, while others believe that the provisions are sound and if companies are well prepared and have adequate anti-bribery systems in place, the Act should not present issues.

Even so, the Act must throw into question the future of more lavish forms of hospitality and the ESA anticipates sponsors will be cautious about all forms of hospitality until experience is gained of the Act's enforcement. As such, this will have implications for sponsorships where hospitality is part of the mix, says the Association.

The ESA will be holding a briefing event on 10th February which will review the implications of the Act for the sponsorship and hospitality industries.