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F1, Heineken Agree To Global Sponsorship Deal
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The Formula One big news in Montreal was the announcement that the Dutch-based brewer Heineken is to become a global partner of the series, kicking off with the Gran Premio Heineken d’Italia at Monza in September. The beer brand will not be seen on any of the F1 cars, but the teams will get a share of the money raised, as part of their payments from the Formula One group.
“F1 represents a unique opportunity for Heineken to engage with existing and potential consumers in important growth markets,” said Gianluca Di Tondo, Heineken’s global brand director. “F1 delivers in three specific area: strong commercial opportunities; expansion of our responsible drinking platform in new and innovative ways; and enabling skill transfers between F1 and our employees. This partnership complements our existing global platforms, enabling us to reach F1’s huge spectator numbers and 400 million unique television viewers every year. The hallmark of our long and successful relationships with UEFA Champions League, Rugby World Cup and the James Bond franchise is our passion to excite our consumers. We will be bringing this passion to Formula One.”
The word is that the deal is the biggest in F1 since the heyday of Marlboro sponsorship in the 1980s and the suggestion is that the deal will probably be worth more than $1 billion between now and the end of 2020. Not all of that money will be coming to F1, but the activation of the sponsorship is sure to bring new fans to the sport. According to Di Tondo it is impossible to say how much the deal will cost Heineken.
“This is the question that all the finance people are asking me,” he said. “It is impossible to answer because of the hundreds of markets in which we will activate the partnership. Normally, we spend three times as much on activation as we do on the partnerships themselves. When we move, we move big.”
The partnership with F1 is aimed at the fans. There will then be Heineken visibility at all the Grands Prix this year after Monza, with the exception of Abu Dhabi, where there are legal problems relating to alcohol sponsorships. For 2017 until 2020 there will be three race title sponsorships a year and visibility at all the races. There will be activation in all the markets that host races one or two months ahead of the events, in hotels, bars, restaurants and supermarkets. The goal is for engagement with the fans, which Heineken believes will bring in more fans for the sport. Around 30 percent of the visibility will be a new campaign called “If you drink, never drive.” The goal is to spread the word globally that drinking and driving should not be mixed. It is a bold ambition.
“I think this is the most significant thing for motorsport for many years,” said Sir Jackie Stewart. “It will bring another dimension to the sport, not here in the F1 paddock but out there. We will helping Heineken get the message across to mass audiences and saving lives.”
Di Tondo said that he wants to make drinking in moderation “a cool thing to do."
“F1 represents a unique opportunity for Heineken to engage with existing and potential consumers in important growth markets,” said Gianluca Di Tondo, Heineken’s global brand director. “F1 delivers in three specific area: strong commercial opportunities; expansion of our responsible drinking platform in new and innovative ways; and enabling skill transfers between F1 and our employees. This partnership complements our existing global platforms, enabling us to reach F1’s huge spectator numbers and 400 million unique television viewers every year. The hallmark of our long and successful relationships with UEFA Champions League, Rugby World Cup and the James Bond franchise is our passion to excite our consumers. We will be bringing this passion to Formula One.”
The word is that the deal is the biggest in F1 since the heyday of Marlboro sponsorship in the 1980s and the suggestion is that the deal will probably be worth more than $1 billion between now and the end of 2020. Not all of that money will be coming to F1, but the activation of the sponsorship is sure to bring new fans to the sport. According to Di Tondo it is impossible to say how much the deal will cost Heineken.
“This is the question that all the finance people are asking me,” he said. “It is impossible to answer because of the hundreds of markets in which we will activate the partnership. Normally, we spend three times as much on activation as we do on the partnerships themselves. When we move, we move big.”
The partnership with F1 is aimed at the fans. There will then be Heineken visibility at all the Grands Prix this year after Monza, with the exception of Abu Dhabi, where there are legal problems relating to alcohol sponsorships. For 2017 until 2020 there will be three race title sponsorships a year and visibility at all the races. There will be activation in all the markets that host races one or two months ahead of the events, in hotels, bars, restaurants and supermarkets. The goal is for engagement with the fans, which Heineken believes will bring in more fans for the sport. Around 30 percent of the visibility will be a new campaign called “If you drink, never drive.” The goal is to spread the word globally that drinking and driving should not be mixed. It is a bold ambition.
“I think this is the most significant thing for motorsport for many years,” said Sir Jackie Stewart. “It will bring another dimension to the sport, not here in the F1 paddock but out there. We will helping Heineken get the message across to mass audiences and saving lives.”
Di Tondo said that he wants to make drinking in moderation “a cool thing to do."
