Rolling Stones x Barcelona?! ?? Read about this story & more in our Sponsorship Snapshot by Pitch Partnerships
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Here are the top 10 news stories out of the sponsorship & partnership world in the last two weeks.
Sport sponsorship deals have dominated the headlines, though the most interesting partnerships either have a central focus on social causes or have a unique ambassador or high-profile figure on board. Have a read below ??
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A partnership with a purpose. Conrad Energy will serve as the Club's Official Power Partner and Sleeve Sponsor for the 2023/24 season. The alliance extends beyond mere branding of Conrad Energy at The Stoop as the company will also support various sustainability initiatives, aligning with the club's efforts to promote sustainable energy growth.
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FC Barcelona has unveiled a special jersey for the upcoming El Clásico on 28 October as part of their collaboration with Spotify. The iconic FC Barcelona kit will showcase The Rolling Stones' Tongue and Lips logo, replacing the usual Spotify logo, highlighting the band's global prominence alongside one of the biggest football matches in the sport’s worldwide calendar. Watch the promo film here
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An example of a partnership that goes beyond branding and focuses on collaborative efforts to help a sporting team develop itself. In this case, THG's various brands, including Myprotein for nutrition, Ingenuity for digital commerce, and THG Eco for sustainable solutions, will support Williams Racing in these respective areas. ?
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UFC has landed its largest deal in terms of annual partnerships with Anheuser-Busch, with Bud Light returning as the official beer sponsor in the US. Coming into effect in January 2024, this deal is yet another sponsorship that will increase the prominence of UFC in the wider sporting industry, as it follows?the extension of its pact?with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT).
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Two sports coming together to support and ensure the growth of girls and women’s participation. The amateur golf body will be supported by Newcastle United Women to encourage overall involvement in golf and promote a “spirit of inclusivity”. Watch some of the Newcastle Women’s team try out a golfing session at Close House Golf Club here
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The Premiership Rugby and Land Rover partnership is an example of why the alignment of core brand values results in a long-lasting and therefore a successful brand partnership, given the connection between the two has been in place since 2002. The renewal will see the Land Rover Defender SUV be maintained as the league's official vehicle partner. The renewal will also see the sustainment of the grassroots program which has seen more than 100,000 young people to get into rugby since 2008. ?
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Toyota’s campaign ‘Let’s Go Beyond, will be supported in the UK through a partnership with motorsport star Billy Monger who will come on board as a Toyota and ‘Let’s Go beyond’ ambassador. The inspirational story of his return to racing after a double leg-amputation is highlighted for the campaign which aims to encourage customers to look at the small steps they can take to improve society overall. Watch the Billy Monger film for Toyota UK here
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Another example of a partnership that intends to use the power of sponsorship for the greater good. With a HQ in Denver, Ibotta will help the NBA team with community- based initiatives, through their own experience with the Ibotta Gives programme. This partnership goes beyond commercial activations and will see initiatives put in place such as an annual Thanksgiving event, that will help families in need around the holiday. Watch the partnership announcement here
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The worlds of fashion, sport and music align for this collaboration which looks to capitalise on the streetwear knowledge of the high-profile rapper A$AP Rocky for exclusive Puma clothing and accessories. The collections will be launched ahead of the highly anticipated Las Vegas Grand Prix in November this year. See A$AP Rocky’s post announcing the collaboration with the Puma and F1 Partnership here
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The Shell partnership with British Cycling, announced back in October last year, has been brought back into public attention. The CEO addresses the overall negative reaction to the sponsorship due to the claim that the sponsor would help British Cycling to net zero despite Shell being a world leading oil and gas producer. The importance of clear communication to the public on the activation of such partnerships, that will not always be accepted by the vast majority, is discussed here.
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FUN Sponsorship moment of the week:
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Watch Rob McElhenney, co-owner of Wrexham AFC, bring on his fellow co-creators and stars of the hit comedy show ‘Always Sunny in Philadelphia’, Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day, to promote the club’s new training kit sleeve sponsor. The sponsor happens to be the Irish American Whiskey, Four Walls, which is also owned by all three parties. Watch the funny moment McElhenney must explain how their whiskey brand will be promoted through the football club here