Man Utd names Chevrolet as shirt sponsor
Manchester United and General Motors (GM) have announced that Chevrolet will become the football club’s main shirt sponsors from 2014, a move that comes just hours after the departure of the automaker’s CMO Joel Ewanick was linked to an existing partnership between both brands.
The seven year tie-up will start in the 2014-season and will see the car marque replace risk management firm Aon, whose partnership began in 2010.
It has been signed for an undisclosed amount and marks Manchester United’s fifth shirt sponsor in the club’s history.
Manchester United’s commercial director Richard Arnold, says the deal provides “long-term” band building opportunities for the club.
He adds: “We have been partners with Chevrolet for only six weeks, but already they have produced some fantastic ideas that will benefit both the partnership and our 659 million followers around the world. They are a key partner on our current tour and I know they have enjoyed experiencing the buzz generated by our fanatical support and the sell-out crowds in South Africa, China, and Europe.”
Chevrolet is also Manchester United’s automotive sponsor, after a signing a five-year deal in May to replace Audi. As part of the deal, the company will build a car park at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium for fans of the club.
The announcement follows the departure of Joel Ewanick, GM’s chief marketing officer. The automaker said the Ewanick had “failed to meet its expectations” after just two years in the role, but according to US newspapers his departure was in part due to failing to reveal full details of the company’s exisitng deal with the football club.
Last week, Chevrolet also became the first automotive sponsor of rival team Liverpool FC, as part of GM’s wider efforts to raise its profile outside of the US using more cost-effective brand building methods such as sponsorships.
Alan Batey, who has replaced Ewanick in the interim and is vice president of US sales and service at General Motors, says:
“We are extremely proud to connect our brand, Chevrolet, with Manchester United and its passionate supporters all around the world. Manchester United’s statistics are impressive, but this relationship goes far beyond the numbers – this relationship is about connecting our brand with the deep-seated emotion that surrounds the team everywhere.”
