Flora in 6m Marathon sponsorship

Flora has pledged to give The London Marathon unprecedented support after confirming plans on Monday to sponsor the event for the next three years in a 6m deal.

It is the biggest sponsorship of the event to date.

“Not all previous sponsors have been able to exploit the event,” says Andy Duncan, marketing controller, fats and oils, at Van den Bergh Foods. “This is not just about the day itself, but the run up to and after the event.”

The sponsorship is a natural fit for Flora, Duncan adds. “It’s about active lifestyles and healthy living. Both are key factors for Flora.”

The sponsorship will feature in a range of activities, including above-the-line initiatives, on-pack and point-of-sale promotions.

The Van den Bergh-owned brand will also play on its association with health literature which it regularly distributes to schools, doctors and health workers, adds Duncan.

Flora takes over the sponsorship from NutraSweet, which sponsored the marathon in 1993 and 1994 in a 4m deal. There have only ever been two other sponsors – ADT and Mars.

News of the Flora deal comes just over a year after the Aerobathon fiasco. Flora sponsored the event, which collapsed with debts of 1.4m.