Major League Soccer and Volkswagen today announced a partnership that makes Volkswagen the official automotive partner of Major League Soccer. The partnership delivers MLS league and collective team marks and logos and marketing assets at league events such as the Pepsi MLS All-Star Game and MLS Cup, Major League Soccer's championship game.
The partnership also has a club component to it as D.C. United and Volkswagen join forces in a landmark deal that includes Volkswagen's logo on the shirts of D.C. United. Volkswagen will also be prominently featured through a variety of other club and in-stadium marketing components for United. The club will debut the new uniforms on national television Thursday, May 8, when they host the Chicago Fire on ESPN2. Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at RFK Stadium.
"We're excited to partner with Volkswagen, a global brand with tradition in Football, Fútbol and Soccer," said Doug Quinn, president of Soccer United Marketing. "With Volkswagen's roots already embedded in the sport, this is a partnership that makes sense at both the club and league level."
As an official partner of Major League Soccer, Volkswagen will receive rights in the United States which deliver value across live in-stadium and national television audiences. The agreement includes player appearances, intellectual property, in-stadium exposure -- including Volkswagen fieldboards to be displayed at MLS special events and for all MLS games broadcast nationally on ESPN, Univision and Fox Soccer Channel -- and on-site activation at select MLS games. Volkswagen will also be a sponsor of MLS grassroots initiatives including MLS Futbolito and Verano MLS.
"As with all of our important decisions, we took a very strategic approach to engaging the market of potential jersey sponsors," said United President and CEO Kevin Payne. "We wanted to be sure we found the right partner, and on the right terms. We're thrilled to have this relationship now with Volkswagen, which is ideal from our point of view -- a multi-national company with a strong brand, a cultural understanding of our game, a commitment to our community, and a reputation for thinking a bit out of the box. For us, VW is a perfect partner."
In addition to the traditional advertising and promotional benefits often found in sponsorship agreements, Volkswagen was insistent on providing the fans of D.C. United some added value while attending games at RFK Stadium. Volkswagen's fan initiatives include the Volkswagen Garage, a new interactive area located behind the north goal at RFK Stadium. The Volkswagen garage will serve as a hospitality area and vehicle showroom with space for 1,000 people. The garage offers a unique brand experience and features: soccer based car games, Xbox 360 stations, live T-shirt screen printing, branded merchandise, hammocks and Adirondack chairs for relaxation, and a whole lot more. Volkswagen will also be a participating sponsor of D.C. United's Soccer Celebration located in Parking Lot 8 at every home game.
On game days, Volkswagen's commitment to the fan experience will extend beyond the stadium and soccer celebration. All fans driving to United's match on Thursday, against Chicago, will be treated to complimentary parking, courtesy of the new presenting sponsors. Going forward, the first 50 Volkswagens to enter lot 4 on gamedays will also be treated to a complimentary spot.
"Since Volkswagen is new to the greater Washington D.C. area, we wanted to find opportunities to support the local community and D.C. United was an obvious choice," said Stefan Jacoby, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. "D.C. United is a great soccer team, committed to success both on and off the pitch. The team's philosophy, mission and fans closely mirror our own corporate philosophy and customer base."
About Major League Soccer
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and features many stars from the U.S. and around the world. Now in its 13th season, the 14 teams in MLS are: the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Chivas USA, Columbus Crew, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes and Toronto FC. For more information about MLS, log on to the League's official Web site at www.MLSnet.com.
Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Volkswagen of America, Inc. recently announced Electronic Stability Program (ESP) as standard equipment on all its 2009 vehicles. As a result, Volkswagen is one of the only original equipment manufacturers to offer an electronic stability control system on their entire product line - ahead of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) deadline requiring vehicles in the 2012 model year to include stability control systems. Volkswagen's ESP technology works in conjunction with anti-lock brakes and helps reduce loss of control and rollovers to avoid crashes. NHTSA predicts nearly 10,000 lives could be saved each year if automakers included stability systems as standard equipment.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, Eos, and Touareg through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com.
