American Suzuki Motor Corporation will sponsor Kutless’ Hearts of the Innocent tour this autumn in a deal that marks the first time a major automotive company has engaged in a national campaign with a Christian rock act, Billboard magazine said in a report distributed by Reuters.
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The deal reportedly is a joint effort between ASMC’s automotive and motorcycle divisions that makes Suzuki the exclusive title sponsor for the BEC/Tooth and Nail/EMI rock band’s upcoming tour.
Though Christian rock act Third Day has had a regional deal with Chevrolet for several years, this is the first such deal on a national level, the report noted, adding it is also Suzuki’s first foray into the music industry.
“Jon Micah Sumrall, the lead singer of Kutless, expressed an interest in our finding a sponsor that fit their lifestyle, and motorcross riding is something the band is enthusiastic about,” Kathy Armistead, a commercial agent at the William Morris Agency, which helped to broker the deal, told Bilboard.
“They were very interested in the fans and the demographic that Kutless could deliver to them,” Armistead reportedly said, adding that the band’s interest in extreme sports and its sales statistics also appealed to Suzuki.
“We came to the table with solid research to show that beyond Kutless’ great rock ‘n’ roll image and music, the band brings a track record of building a sophisticated young fan base that buys records, concert tickets and merchandise,” Chance Hoag, partner in Platform Artist Management, which handled Kutless, told the magazine.
Still, some corporate sponsors shy away from involvement with Christian acts, the report noted.
“It didn’t give us pause, because we’re not aligning with their faith,” Gene Brown, vice president of marketing at American Suzuki Motor Corp. Automotive Operations told Billboard. “We obviously have customers of all faiths and respect all of their personal beliefs, but this was really more about the attitude of living life to its fullest and bringing excitement to your day that fit so well with the positioning of our brand. We saw a brand fit more than anything to do with personal beliefs.”
