NASCAR Hitting NYC; Diageo Finalizes NASCAR Sponsorship
Though the closest racetrack is hours away, NASCAR racecars will be making pit stops in several New York City locations next week, and the racing conglomerate is sponsoring a sweepstakes to lure consumers to each racecar location.
Authentic show cars will be in eight locations throughout the city. Two NASCAR ambassadors, who will distribute sponsor collateral and premiums to consumers, will host each location.
Consumers will also be given a NASCAR NYC Pit Stop Tour Game Card, which they can have stamped as proof of having visited each location. They can then turn in their cards at the NEXTEL Racing Experience, located at the Intrepid Sea-Air Museum, to win prizes and be entered in a sweepstakes.
Sweepstakes prizes include a trip for two to the 2005 Daytona 500, a Richard Petty Driving Experience, and a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series phone.
Locations for the show cars include the Army Recruiting Station in Times Square; The Plaza Hotel; Madison Square Garden; Bryant Park; Union Square; Madison Square Park; the Intrepid Sea-Air Museum; and the NASCAR New York office on Park Avenue.
The promotion is being supported by multiple advertisements in the New York Daily News as well as radio advertisements on classic rock radio station Q104.3 FM.
The promo runs Nov. 28 to Dec. 3. Grand Central Marketing, New York, handles.
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| Kurt Busch’s relationship with Crown Royal began with the IROC series |
In other NASCAR news, Diageo’s Crown Royal brand has finalized plans to sponsor 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Champion Kurt Busch’s No. 97 Roush Racing Sharpie/Irwin car for select races throughout the 2005 season, making Crown Royal the first spirits brand to enter the sport since NASCAR lifted its ban on spirits advertising.
Crown Royal’s integrated motorsports marketing plan will include primary sponsorship of the No. 97 car at select races during the 2005 season including the Brickyard 400. When Crown Royal is not a primary sponsor, the brand will support Busch as an associate sponsor of the No. 97 car.
Diageo said last week that the Crown Royal brand sponsorship will be built around the company’s existing relationship with Roush Racing. Its Smirnoff Ice malt-liquor brand is an associate sponsor of Rousch Racing’s No. 17 car, which is driven by Matt Kenseth.
Busch has an existing relationship with Crown Royal as a pitchman for the brand’s IROC series. When Crown Royal took over as IROC’s title sponsor this year, it made Busch, the 2003 champ, its spokesperson. He made appearances on Crown Royal’s behalf in places such as go-kart tracks in Richmond to Fenway Park in Boston.
Diageo got the keg rolling for the end of the prohibition in June, when it tried to sign a deal with Roush Racing’s No. 99 Ford, which races in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. That car had been driven by Jeff Burton, who left Roush Racing in August and signed in October with Richard Childress Racing.
Crown Royal said it would continue as title sponsor of the IROC series in 2005.
Financial terms of Crown Royal’s NASCAR team sponsorship deal were not disclosed. Just Marketing, Indianapolis, brokered the deal.
According to published reports Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniels whisky brand may become a sponsor of one of Richard Childress Racing’s cars.
