Brown-Forman Signs Biggest Tequila Sponsorship To Date
Sponsorship in the tequila category shows no signs of slowing down, as today Brown-Forman tequila brand, el Jimador, announced a new multi-million dollar, four-year deal with Major League Soccer, making the company the official tequila sponsor of Major League Soccer (MLS), U.S. Soccer and the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams, and the Mexican National Team’s annual tour of the United States. Terms of the deal were not released.
Brown-Foreman officials said the sponsorship is the largest marketing investment Brown-Forman has made in its tequila brands since acquiring Casa Herradura in 2007.
“We believe the time is right to make a major investment in soccer in this country as the sport aligns very well with our target consumer and is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the shifting demographics in the marketplace,” said Kris Sirchio, Chief Marketing Officer for Brown-Forman. “We look forward to working with our new partners at SUM to capitalize on this opportunity by bringing innovative and exciting activation programs to the millions of soccer fans across America.”
According to Nielsen research cited by the company's press release, el Jimador Tequila consumers are more likely than others to watch soccer live or on TV, and soccer viewership is one of the top occasions when Hispanic consumers drink tequila.
“Soccer aligns perfectly with el Jimador Tequila, the number one selling tequila in Mexico and one of the fastest growing tequila brands in the United States,” said Mark Grindstaff, U.S. brand director for Casa Herradura Tequilas. “We think the combination of these properties gives us a powerful marketing platform to reach the diverse and growing soccer market in this country.”
Brown-Forman will receive extensive marketing and promotional rights across the properties to leverage with its consumers including logo rights for promotions, on-field signage at over 100 nationally televised matches per year, on-site presence at matches, ability to develop co-branded merchandise, player appearances and to be announced proprietary programs. All messaging will remind consumers to drink responsibly.
“We would like to welcome el Jimador to the SUM family,” said David Wright, vice president, global sponsorship, SUM. “The el Jimador brand is an ideal match for the sport of soccer; a brand that we anticipate will become synonymous with our passionate fans for many years to come.”
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