Manchester Games signs up Cadbury

Cadbury has agreed to sponsor the troubled 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.

Under the terms of the sponsorship, the confectionery giant will be the sponsor of The Queen’s Baton Relay – the games’ equivalent of the Olympic Torch. Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs will run one leg of the relay.

Cadbury will also be an official sponsor of the England Team and official supporter of the Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland teams.

The company has refused to comment on how much the sponsorship is worth, but says it is a “multi-million pound deal”.

Parent company Cadbury Trebor Bassett’s chief executive, Andrew Cosslett, says: “Cadbury is a perfect fit for the games, not only because of its strong heritage and presence across the UK, but also because of its universal mass appeal.”

McCann-Erickson Manchester was appointed in May to handle the advertising for the games, while Manning Gottlieb will handle media planning and buying.

Earlier this month the Government was forced to pledge a &£100m “pot of gold” to ensure the success of the games after warnings by organisers that the competition would collapse without extra funding.