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IZOD Signs On As IndyCar Series Title Sponsor!
IZOD has joined the IndyCar series as title sponsor.
Courtesy IndyCar/Shawn Payne
By Anne Proffit
For the first time 2001 – and essentially for the first time in its history – the Indy Racing League has a viable title sponsor in IZOD, the lifestyle and clothing division of Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. that has been the official apparel partner of the League since July of 2008.
That initial deal was announced the same weekend IZOD spokes-driver Ryan Hunter-Reay won his first IndyCar Series race; today he was at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Pagoda Pavilion to help Brian Barnhart, Jeff Belskus, John Lewis and Mike Kelly, IZOD vice president of marketing make the announcement.
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The IZOD IndyCar Series promotions are already underway as IZOD revealed a billboard announcing the deal at Times Square in New York City this morning. The official length of the contract is for six years – with options to renew.
The announcement at the historic Brickyard circuit featured a five-minute video of IZOD IndyCar Series action and a style-forward fashion show prior to the reveal of the new red-black-white logo and key partnership details at IMS. In addition to Hunter-Reay, Vision Racing’s Ed Carpenter took to the stage for the reveal.
The primary push, Kelly promised will be in brand building efforts, to show the general public the speed, diversity and ecologically sound attributes of the League. “Once you’ve been to a race you understand the great stories that haven’t been fully told – yet. This is a great platform to display our products at fantastic locations across the country. It’s a win-win situation for everybody,” Kelly said.
“IZOD is committed to help grow our sport with their ability to outside the traditional motorsports marketing,” said Brian Barnhart, Indy Racing League president of racing and competition. “They can take our sport into popular culture, beyond our broadcast partners of ABC and Versus and into non-traditional outlets.”
As they did prior to the 2009 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, IZOD will be able, during this six-year partnership arrangement, to use the rolling and still treasures at the IMS Hall of Fame Museum to showcase both the IZOD series and its apparel and lifestyle choices.
As they did throughout the past, 2009 season, IZOD will go into both major and minor markets three weeks before an event to get the marketing online and get people excited about each race. “We will activate in and around each race market, working together with our broadcast partners,” Kelly promised.
A novel idea to help market the inherent speed and excitement of IndyCar Series racing will be the use of the IZOD IndyCar Series two-seater Dallara, which will be active for two parade laps prior to each race – including the Indy 500. Either an IZOD VIP or a lucky fan will be strapped into the two-seater for the ride of a lifetime.
No firm financial aspects of the agreement were revealed during this public announcement but Barnhart did state the “best part of the agreement is the activation, which will raise awareness of our brand and get us more ‘eyeballs’. This is our first legitimate title sponsor,” he declared. There will be a multi-year and multi-million-dollar TEAM program commitment from IZOD that will help all full-season teams.
Activation is, Barnhart intimated, well into the millions and Kelly backed that up by stating the company will be doing “massive buys” in media as Phillips-Van Heusen brings its marketing into the sports arena, something it has been doing over the past few years. Using Macy’s department stores as its chosen partner, IZOD intends to use the IMS HOF museum assets for its “window dressing” as it brings public awareness to the IZOD IndyCar Series. “This is the marketing capability we’ve never had,” Barnhart said.
During the nuts and bolts of the partnership announcement, Mike Kelly said IZOD is focused on promoting the cars and stars of the IndyCar Series over the next six seasons. “We want to tell the stories about the talent and the great athletes in this sport. We will take every opportunity” to do this, starting this coming weekend with a couple of golf tournaments.
The value of the agreement is evident: Jim Michaelian, president of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach said, “We are delighted to hear of this new partnership. It makes a strong statement about the corporate attractiveness of the IndyCar Series, especially in these tough economic times.”
Hunter-Reay first met the PVH and IZOD marketing teams at Indy in 2008, he said. “When I first met Mike, I thought he was nuts. The next thing I knew they announced their apparel program at Watkins Glen,” he laughed. “From a driver’s perspective, this is what we’ve been waiting for; it’s a fresh start for the IZOD IndyCar Series because they are a marketing company more than anything else.” As for his own 2010 driving negotiations, which are rumored to be with Michael Andretti’s team, RHR was mum on those plans.
Nearly crowned two-time IZOD IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti believes this is “a really good sign for the IndyCar Series to have a company like IZOD step up their commitment to the title sponsor level. Hopefully we as drivers, along with the teams and series can work together to give IZOD the maximum value on their investment. First unification of the two open wheel series and now a title sponsor in IZOD – I think you are seeing the IndyCar Series continue to head in the right direction.”
(c) 2009 Anne Proffit
PaddockTalk Perspective
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