PowerBar and Ironman Announce Global Sponsorship Agreement
Saturday, 15th October 2005
Strategic Partnership Designed to Provide Performance Nutrition to Athletes Worldwide
PowerBar, a division of Nestlé S.A., and the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), owners of the Ironman brand, today announced an exclusive, three-year global sponsorship agreement at the pre-race press conference for the October 15th Ford Ironman World Championship. The deal designates PowerBar as the Official Global Energy Bar and Energy Gel Sponsor from 2006 through 2008 for all international Ironman qualifying events, the Ironman 70.3 series, and the Ford Ironman World Championship.
For PowerBar, the partnership with the world's leading sports consumer brand marks the company's first international sports marketing deal. This strategic alignment will further Nestlé's goal of achieving worldwide leadership in the rapidly-growing sport nutrition category. Through the agreement, PowerBar will leverage the international Ironman programme as a platform for its sports nutrition education initiatives and will support the sponsorship via advertising, promotions and sports marketing. PowerBar(R) Performance energy bars and PowerBar(R) PowerGel(R) energy gels, endorsed as Official Product of Ironman, will be on-course at more than 40 Ironman events in more than 17 countries each year to deliver essential sports nutrition to Ironman competitors.
"A global partnership with Ironman supports PowerBar's core equity of providing sustained energy to endurance athletes in training and competition, and authentically demonstrates the benefits of PowerBar products in action," said Philip Annett, Global Business Head for Performance Nutrition, Nestlé S.A. "We proudly align PowerBar with the Ironman brand, and look forward to collaborative marketing and education initiatives designed to support world's endurance athletes and to expand the sport of triathlon and both our brands to a wider international athletic community."
"Ironman and PowerBar are both synonymous with authenticity, excellence and performance. Ironman athletes have used PowerBar as an integral part of their training and race needs for years. Thus, Ironman and PowerBar are a natural fit," said Andy Giancola, Ironman Sponsorship and Licensing Manager.
PowerBar's heritage with the sport of triathlon traces back to the company's beginning. Over the past twenty years, thousands of triathletes worldwide have come to rely on PowerBar's sports nutrition products for training and competition, including 2004 Ironman Triathlon World Champion Normann Stadler and three-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion Peter Reid. PowerBar is the proud sponsor of more than 55 competitors at this weekend's Ford Ironman World Championship event.
Article Source: PR Newswire on behalf of PowerBar Europe GmbH, 14 October 2005