Vodafone commits to McLaren Mercedes F1 team
Vodafone has extended and upgraded its title sponsorship of the McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team as testament to the “enduring global marketing appeal” of the sport.
The telecommunications company’s title sponsorship will now run until the end of 2013 season. It will expand its category deal to “total communications partner” from mobile partner.
The partnership will now cover fixed, mobile and broadband networks, content and communication services, it says.
Vodafone has sponsored the McLaren team, which includes British drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, since 2007. It has focussed much of its sponsorship effort on the sport since ending its lead partner deal with the England cricket team in 2008.
“The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes title partnership has been hugely successful, in both sporting and marketing terms, and the extension is testimony to Formula 1’s enduring global marketing appeal,” the company says in a statement.
Morten Lundal, the recently appointed group chief commercial officer, says: “Vodafone is an international brand with strong local roots. As such, Formula 1 is a strong platform from which we can engage our customers with unique experiences and events.”
