Qatar Airways strikes first sports sponsorship agreement with Sydney Swans deal
Qatar Airways has followed Middle East rivals Emirates and Etihad into sports sponsorship by signing a three-year deal with AFL team Sydney Swans.
The Doha-based airline, which launched flights to Sydney in March, will receive prominent branding during the Swans’ home matches at the Sydney Cricket Ground and at the club’s training facility, while players will front the airline’s marketing activities.
The deal is Qatar’s first foray into sport sponsorship, a path that has been well trodden by competitors.
Qatar Australia country manager, Adam Radwanksi, said the agreement will align the airline with a sporting code that “has a special place in Australian hearts”.
“AFL is part of Australian culture,” he said. “It is all about expanding awareness of our brand and will help us achieve our commercial goals.”
The marketing battle between Qatar, Etihad and Emirates, which has a close alliance with Qantas, has intensified in recent years as it increased the number of flights to Australia.
Qatar already has sponsorship deals with the Melbourne Theatre Company and Adelaide Fringe Festival.
I’m pretty sure Qatar Airways sponsored Barcelona FC, no?
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And the Swans and AFL, which has ‘pride games’ and continues to try to promote equality, is fine with taking the money off a state where homosexuality is punishable by death? (And yes, this is the money from the state, Qatar Airways is fully funded by the Qatari govt).
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For a club that operates with a well-known ‘no d%#kheads’ player recruitment policy, the Swans don’t appear to apply the same principle to sponsors. Or at least a “no autocratic, brutal governments with a very grim human rights track record” policy.
Just a quick sample of Qatar’s modern and civilised approach to law and order:
Stoning is a legal punishment in Qatar. Apostasy is a crime punishable by the death penalty in Qatar. Blasphemy is punishable by up to seven years in prison. Homosexuality is a crime punishable by the death penalty for Muslims.
I won’t be surprised if the Swans (rightfully) cop a great deal of backlash over this.
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Hey KGB, I sure hope you didn’t type that on a computer or smartphone made in some Asian sweatshop, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to live with your own conscience.
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