THE ARIZONA CARDINALS of the National Football League (NFL) have announced Hyundai as the team’s latest marketing partner in a multi-year deal.
Under the terms of the partnership the Korean automotive giant will be entitled to a number of exclusive rights, including presenting partner of the Cardinals’ 2012 training camp.
Hyundai will also become the naming rights partner of the main entertainment venue outside of the University of Phoenix Stadium, to be called the Hyundai Great Lawn Entertainment Stage.
During the NFL season Hyundai will also have signage around the stadium as well as promotional rights and access to media and tickets. Further, entry gate number one at the stadium will be renamed Hyundai Gate 1.
Most interestingly, however, the deal will see the Cardinals sport the Hyundai logo on their training kits – the first time the team has placed a corporate brand on its training wear.
While the NFL playing jerseys remain logo-free – the same applies for all four major league sports in the US – the move to badge the training tops further indicates an increasing leniency to shirt sponsorship legislation.
Already a sponsor of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hyundai’s extensive deal with the Cardinals should enable the brand to gain further exposure in what is a highly-cluttered NFL sponsorship category.
US auto giant Ford sponsors, among others, the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants, while Toyota has associations to the new England Patriots, the Oakland Raiders and other NFL teams.