Against a background of increasing controversy and worldwide concern over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, National Portrait Gallery, Tate, Royal Opera House and British Museum have issued a prepared joint statement on the sponsorship they each receive from BP.

The statement reads:

"The British Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Royal Opera House and Tate work with a wide range of companies who support the work of each organisation alongside government subsidy, commercial enterprise and philanthropy. The income generated through corporate partnerships is vital to the mixed economy of successful arts organisations and enables each of us to deliver a rich and vibrant cultural programme.

"BP has, for many years, made a very significant contribution to the arts and cultural life of this country including support for the Royal Opera House since 1988, the BP Portrait Award since 1990, Tate since 1990 and the British Museum since 1996.

"We are grateful to BP for their long term commitment, sharing the vision that our artistic programmes should be made available to the widest possible audience".

Alistair Mackintosh, Chief Executive at Fulham said: "I am delighted to welcome FxPro to Fulham during a period of such success and optimism on and off the pitch. It is always a cause for celebration when you have an opportunity to work with a brand that shares your commitment and vision for success. FxPro already has global presence and, partnering another Premier League football club, will enhance this even further.

"Clearly this has additional benefits for Fulham's global reach which, following the European success of last season and the recognition the Club received worldwide, is something that we are extremely excited about".

Denis Sukhotin, Director for FxPro added: "FxPro is delighted to team up with Fulham Football Club for the next three years. Fulham's success during the last campaign in both the Barclays Premier League and in the UEFA Europa League saw the Club capture the imagination of football fans, not just in the UK but internationally.

"FxPro is committed to raising the profile of Fulham FC and supporting the Club as it seeks to replicate last season's success in the domestic and European competitions during the period of our association.'

Nikon will also be setting up a retail unit displaying all of the latest Nikon DSLR and COOLPIX cameras, with expert advisors on hand to help people looking for a camera to capture the stunning scenery and important moments of what promises to be a memorable Championship. There will also be a gallery showing some of the iconic images captured by leading Nikon professional sports photographer, David Ashdown, which have characterised Open Championships through the years.

Young Tom Morris wearing The Open Championship's original prize, the Champion's Belt.

The Open Golf Championship is one of Nikon's most significant worldwide sponsorships. The company has been a patron of the event since 1993. Nikon is committed to continuing its patronage until 2012 and beyond, ensuring a prominent brand presence at what remains one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar.

Commenting on Nikon's ongoing sponsorship of The Open Championship, Birgitta Olson, General Manager of Marketing Communications at Nikon Europe, said: “Golf has provided sport with some of its most inspiring images and therefore we see our sponsorship of the oldest and most prestigious golf tournament in the world as a very natural fit. We understand the unique challenges involved in shooting high quality golfing images in what are often testing conditions, and therefore we are continuing to provide photographers with the very best equipment and technical support they need".

Commenting on the announcement, Michelle Warner, Sales and Marketing Director for Cowes Week Limited, said: "Throughout the Week there is always much cause for celebration.

"Whether or not you're winner, there's a strong sense of teamwork and achievement after a day's racing out on the water and we're thrilled that we have the perfect partner to help Cowes Week participants and visitors celebrate their own personal Cowes Week triumphs in style".

Piper-Heidsieck's UK representative, Victor Lanson, said: "We are delighted to be associated with such a historic, prestigious and fun event. We hope everyone at Cowes, competitors and spectators, adds to their experience by enjoying a glass of Piper-Heidsieck".

The remaining top four positions in the table were taken up by beer companies, with Heineken (one of the Netherlands' sponsors) experiencing a 75% increase in searches for its brand in the UK last week. Carlsberg (official sponsors of the England team) and Corona (sponsors of Mexico, South Africa's opponents in the tournament's opening match) both experienced a 50% increase, while searches for Budweiser (sponsors of the USA, England's opponents last Saturday and also FIFA World Cup sponsors) were up by a third.

"The massive spike in searches for South African Airways illustrates the appetite for last minute travel to watch the World Cup. There has also been an 85% increase in searches for flights to South Africa over the last couple of weeks", commented Robin Goad, Director of Research at Experian Hitwise. "The industry Index that saw the biggest increase in searches last week was Food and Drink (up by 8%), as illustrated by the strong performance of beer brands. It just beat Travel (up 7.4%), while Technology and Telecoms came in third with a 4.8% increase".

"What the Experian Hitwise Brand Index highlights is that a weekend of football has given the food and drinks brands a real boost – particularly with England playing their first match on a Saturday night. The timing of these opening matches has been reflected in their advertising and marketing campaigns with great offers and promotions that are relevant, humorous and authentic.

"It also highlights the rewards that integrated marketing campaigns can deliver. With the exception of the Dutch team, all the teams the top five brands sponsor had played at the time our Index was compiled".

Other ways in which the World Cup has influenced UK online behaviour over the last week, says the report, include:

  •   Following the England vs. USA match on Saturday, there was a 12-fold increase in searches for unfortunate England goalkeeper Robert Green.

  •   UK Internet visits to Gambling – Sports websites increased by 13% on the previous week. The biggest beneficiaries of the increase in traffic were: Betfair Soccer (soccer.betfair.com, visits up 67%), William Hill Sports Betting (sports.williamhill.com, visits up 26%), and BetFred (www.betfred.com, visits up 23%).

  •   1 in every 144 Internet searches in the UK was World Cup related last week. The FIFA website remains the biggest recipient of World Cup search traffic, and last week was the 109th most visited website in the UK, and the fourth most popular Sports website.

* About the Experian Hitwise Brand Search Index

The Index is based upon the volume of UK Internet searches for multiple variations of each brand. All of the brands selected are either official FIFA World Cup sponsors, or sponsors of national teams with products that have strong brand recognition in the UK. The base for the index was set at 100 using the average weekly search volume for each brand during May 2010.

In addition, Jaguar is co-hosting bespoke events and a jewellery exhibition at the Jaguar Boutique in the Berkeley Hotel, Knightsbridge, to launch the Green Street Jewellers' Association's Discover Jewellery magazine.

Speaking at the time the Jaguar sponsorship was announced, Daljit Jagait of Jaguar Cars Ltd said: "The attention to detail and skilled craftsmanship that goes into designing and producing Jaguars means there is logical tie-up with the luxurious, skilled, bespoke jewellery trade".

Through its commitment to London Jewellery Week and London's jewellery industry, Jaguar supports the GSJA's efforts to raise the profile of Green Street as a lively jewellery quarter in the capital. Located in the heart of Newham, Green Street has been a traditional centre for the trade and is fast becoming a top shopping destination for exquisite fine jewellery and wedding jewellery.

The sponsorship will be celebrated with a series of exclusive gigs at the indigO2, The O2's 2,300 capacity intimate music venue, under the banner Best Buy Presents .... Headlined by Ellie Goulding, the first exclusive gig will take place on 5th July 2010, with 1,225 pairs of free tickets available to be given away by Best Buy.

Best Buy will promote the exclusive Ellie Goulding gig to customers at its Thurrock, Hedge End and Merry Hill stores and in the local areas surrounding each store via direct marketing, via My Best Buy, online at www.bestbuy.co.uk and on Twitter and Facebook. Customers who spend over £30 on products in store will be given a unique reference code and will be eligible for a pair of free tickets to the show and entry to the after-party.

Announcements about further gigs held in partnership with Best Buy UK will be made in due course.

Kevin Styles, Marketing Director at Best Buy UK, said: "Best Buy has a long-standing heritage and commitment to supporting entertainment and so I'm delighted to confirm our partnership with The O2. In the UK we demonstrate our focus on entertainment in-store, where our customers can try and buy in our DJ decks area, experience and buy 3DTVs from Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and LG and choose from a wide range of music, movies and games to try in-store and then take home and enjoy.

"Additionally, through My Best Buy, our customers can already enjoy access to relevant offers suited to their individual interests as well as taking advantage of their own personalised area of the My Best Buy website, where customers can store receipts and other information about previous purchases. This exciting development with AEG will allow us to further reward My Best Buy customers with gig tickets and VIP experiences".

Paul Samuels, Executive Director of Sponsorship at AEG Europe, commented: "I am thrilled that Best Buy UK has decided that The O2 is the perfect place to develop their brand in the UK. With 7.5 million visitors a year to The O2, Best Buy is guaranteed major exposure to our visitors, as well as being associated with our exclusive VIP experience".

Best Buy's first UK store opened on 30th April, 2010, in Thurrock, Essex. The store, in Hedge End near Southampton, opened on Friday, 28th May, with Merry Hill in the West Midlands opening in June, to be followed by Aintree near Liverpool and Croydon later in the year and Bristol in 2011. The stores showcase audio and visual equipment, computing technology, entertainment devices, appliances, mobiles, music, movies, games and the connections - including fixed and mobile broadband - content and services.

The new partnership agreement commences with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra's 20010/2011 season which opens in September, during which the Orchestra will perform eleven Family Concerts.

Key elements of the partnership will include:will perform eleven Family Concerts.

•   All Family Concerts in the season credited as The TalkTalk Family Concerts   •   Accreditation of TalkTalk as the official and exclusive Family Partner of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic on-line at www.liverpoolphil.com and in all marketing literature including season brochures and concert programmes for concerts in Liverpool and literature associated with national and international touring   •   A comprehensive tickets package and additional ticket incentive schemes for concerts by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and other events at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall for use by TalkTalk for customers, employees and guests.

The TalkTalk Family Concerts last for one hour and provide an introduction to classical music for children aged four to ten years and their families. Each concert is themed and includes classical music favourites as well as music from film and television. The audience is invited to come along in fancy dress and there are opportunities to join in the concert.

"For those who don't know the form, it's part of that wider education philosophy of getting 'em while they're young. No youngster is too young or too vocal to be barred from enjoying the vibes surging off stage. The concerts are a merciful release for parents who fear appearing in public because their children are always on the brink of blowing like Krakatoa. As this doesn't matter, the atmosphere is always relaxed" - Liverpool Daily Post.

The TalkTalk Family Concerts highlights include Fantastic Creatures, Pirates Ahoy! and the Christmas special, Rudolph on Hope Street with regular presenter Alasdair Malloy. Popular children's television personality Dave Benson Phillips presents Big Bear's Band. A new addition for the season is the screening of the Oscar-winning animation, Peter & the Wolf LIVE, with music played by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and a newly commissioned script by the poet Simon Armitage.

To mark the start of the sponsorship, the first charity event involved more than 150 of Aon's Manchester-based colleagues and their families, who participated in a Penalty Kick Challenge at Old Trafford for the Manchester-based The Christie charity - one of England's leading cancer centres which treats more than 40,000 patients a year.

The Aon Foundation donated £25,000, of which £3,500 came from the Penalty Kick Challenge, to The Survivorship Programme of The Christie, which helps young people progress in their educational and career goals and receive life skills support following cancer treatment.

Caroline Shaw, Chief Executive of The Christie, said: "Having cancer at any age is traumatic, but it is especially difficult for young people when they still have their whole lives ahead of them. This generous support will help them have the successful and fulfilling life that they deserve after cancer".

Case added: "Throughout our more than five hundred offices around the world, Aon colleagues are joining today's fundraising through an 'Aon United REDy Day' campaign, including raising money for local charities by wearing Manchester United shirts or red clothes for the day. Aon is an organization that is truly committed to strengthening communities by sharing our human, intellectual and financial resources. We believe that through this ongoing programme of charitable initiatives we can make a positive difference in people's lives".

Forthcoming Aon charity initiatives include Aon United Day on July 15th, 2010, which will involve Aon's global colleagues in over 120 countries participating in fundraising and volunteer activities, including supporting hundreds of schools, children's hospitals, orphanages and community centres as well as more well-known organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters Clubs, Junior Achievement, Ronald McDonald House, Special Olympics, UNICEF, United Way and the YMCA.

For example, in Botswana, Aon colleagues will partner with the House of Hope orphanage by providing furniture donations and helping to clean and improve the facility. In Singapore, Aon volunteers will host an indoor football match for the young people served by Boys' Town and will support the organisation's new building fund. Aon Bangalore has "adopted" a local elementary school that it will support throughout the coming year with both charitable donations and volunteer service.

In Bolivia, Aon colleagues will donate to Hogar de Ninos Alalay, helping to plant trees on the orphanage grounds and creating art projects with the children who live there. In Sacramento, California, Aon colleagues are partnering with Project 680 by collecting hygiene supplies to distribute to homeless youth. In the Netherlands, Aon colleagues will participate in a charity bike ride and sell Right to Play merchandise to help raise funds for youth sports programmes in disadvantaged areas.