Nissan says it has “no doubts” its four-year sponsorship deal with UEFA for its Champions League competition, will pay back and will allow it to broaden its message inside Europe.
The global manufacturer is remaining coy as to the price it is paying for the contract, but official partners in the competition are reportedly parting with GBP45m (US$73.4m) per year for the rights.
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The automaker replaces Ford, which is withdrawing its sponsorship after a 21-year relationship with UEFA that has seen the US manufacturer promote its Mondeo, B-Max, S-Max and Focus models.
Nissan’s deal, which places it alongside established backers such as Gazprom, Adidas and Heineken, is the Japanese automaker’s largest ever sponsorship.
Barcelona and Spain midfielder, Andrés Iniesta, as well as Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain captain, Thiago Silva, will act for Nissan as its first global ambassadors for the UEFA partnership and will feature in a number of the automaker’s television commercials.
“The clarity of our brand is not good enough – that is a bit of an issue,” Nissan vice president marketing Europe, Bastien Schupp, told just-auto on the sidelines of the Moscow Motor Show.
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By GlobalData“There are many markets where people don’t have a real opinion of Nissan and this [sponsorship] will help us be more consistent. People say it is expensive, but in reality, it very [quickly] pays for itself.
“The audience with Champions League is so big – 4bn cumulative.”
The football deal comes at a time of intense sponsorship activity by Nissan, with its backing of the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016 and of the African Cup of Nations.
Nissan will sponsor the Champions League competition from 2014/2015 to 2017/2018, with the contract also including the UEFA Super Cups in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
“This is by far the biggest sponsorship deal we have ever signed and it is the most global,” said Schupp.
The automaker will also use its Champions League backing as a dealer incentive and to show it has some serious muscle when it comes to negotiating such mega contracts.
“It is such a big asset,” said Schupp. “It fills people with pride, that we are a big player and we were able to secure this sponsorship. “The fact the incumbent [Ford] was in for so long offers us a massive opportunity to be noticed.
“It is a way of [encouraging] everyone around one subject – to get [the] brand message out there.
“We have no doubts this will pay back.”
As an official partner, Nissan will have rights to matches, pre-game training sessions, content, media, hospitality, events and the final, which next year takes place in Berlin.
Nissan is already a sponsor of the Rio Olympics, Olympic Teams GB and Mexico, the Africa Cup of Nations, NCAA Football, Heisman Trophy and the Canadian Football League, while 100m record holder, Usain Bolt, is a GT-R ambassador.
