The New England Patriots, one of the most successful pro football teams of the last decade, is now part of Yokohama Tire Corp.’s impressive roster of sports marketing partnerships. The Fullerton, CA-based tiremaker announced it is sponsoring the National Football League’s (NFL) three-time Super Bowl champion Patriots for the 2011 season.
Yokohama also is sponsoring the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens.
According to Shawn Denlein, Yokohama director of sales, Consumer Products, the Patriots’ sponsorship includes Yokohama’s “Home Team Pride” program, which begins Oct. 9 and runs through Nov. 6. Consumers can receive a free $85 gift card to the Patriot Pro Shop, with the purchase of four Yokohama tires from participating local dealers.
As the Official Tire of the New England Patriots, Yokohama will receive significant media exposure, including weekly in-game and post-game television spots, features and billboards on the weekly telecast, as well as tickets and hospitality.
“We’ve had great success the last few seasons with our football sponsorships,” said Denlein, “but we’ve really raised the bar by partnering with one of the highest visibility teams in all of sports. The Patriots have a huge, passionate fan base which, along with the ‘Home Team Pride’ gift card promotion, will help generate foot traffic in our dealers’ stores,” said Denlein. “These types of sports sponsorship programs offer far-reaching brand visibility and are a great avenue to promote our line-up of tires, ranging from the AVID ENVigor to the eco-friendly, orange-oil infused dB Super E-spec.”
Besides football, Yokohama’s other 2011 sports sponsorships include deals with Angels Baseball, the New York Yankees, the Philadelphia Phillies, as well as the Houston Rockets.