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Vodafone continues with push back into sponsorship with Supercars deal

Vodafone is making good on its pledge to get more active in sponsorships, locking in a deal with Supercars to be the telecommunications partner of the sport.

Vodafone is back in Supercars after five years

The move comes just two months after Vodafone announced a new partnership with the ARU, ending a five year-long hiatus from sponsorships as the brand rebuilt its network.

Three weeks ago Ben McIntosh, director of Vodafone’s consumer business unit, told Mumbrella the brand would be using sponsorships as a major part of its marketing platform.

The move back towards sponsorships comes after a significant shakeup at the telco which saw sales and marketing brought under the same leadership and the appointment J. Walter Thompson in Sydney as its creative agency.

The deal reunites the brand with the sport after if ended its relationship with the Triple 8 Supercar team in 2012 and includes Vodafone livery on the Porsche safety car, course car and medical cars. The move also fills a void created when Telstra ended its long term relationship with the sport in 2012.

MacIntosh said the sport was a good fit with the telco.

“Supercars is a truly national sport with a significant and extremely avid fan base right across Australia,” McIntosh said.

“We are also a fast-paced, high performance brand which is passionate about its people and its customers, just like Supercars. This partnership fits with our focus of providing world-class connectivity throughout Australia with mobile, voice and text services.”

Supercars CEO James Warburton said the deal gave the sport connection with a global brand partner.

“Vodafone is an incredible global brand which will connect the sport of Supercars to our fans and new audiences nationally and regionally,” Warburton said.

“We are proud to have Vodafone back in the sport which they have already had so much success in. Vodafone knows the huge and powerful reach of Supercars on a national platform with major events in all states and the Northern Territory. Supercars also has a massive digital reach and footprint domestically and globally, as does Vodafone. We feel this is a perfect match.”

Mumbrella’s Sports Marketing Summit is being held on July 21 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Amongst the many topics being tackled is the future of alcohol advertising in sport. To see the program and to buy tickets, click here.

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