Sony Electronics has signed popular racecar driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Jr Motorsports as a marketing partner, the company said last week.
As part of the multi-year deal, Sony gets the use of Earnhardt’s name, likeness, image, voice and endorsement for use in advertising, promotions and merchandising for consumer marketing campaigns.
Earnhardt has a similar deal with Budweiser, which runs through next year.
One Sony product that the 32-year-old Earnhardt is expected to promote is its high definition Bravia TVs. He will appear in TV spots for the product, as well as at major electronics events and trade shows, the company said.
Earnhardt is in his eighth season driving in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series (17 victories, 71 top-five finishes and 115 top-10 finishes). Race fans have selected him as a four-time winner of NASCAR’s most popular driver award. He also was chosen as the fifth-most-liked athlete in America in Harris Interactive polling in 2006.
Earnhardt has been among the Top 10 most-liked athletes in the poll for three consecutive years, Sony said.
“By his own admission, Dale is an avid tech enthusiast who demands exceptional technology, superior performance and the latest in style—both on and off the track. This aligns perfectly with Sony’s approach to consumer electronics and makes this partnership especially fitting.” said Stuart Redsun, senior vice president of corporate marketing at Sony Electronics, in a statement.
Sony Electronics is the official high-definition TV partner of NASCAR.
Next season, Earnhardt leaves his late father’s team to join Hendricks Motor Sports, Inc. The move calls into question Earnhardt’s deal with Budweiser. The brewer has been his primary sponsor since 1999. Rick Hendricks, the owner of Hendricks Motor Sports, may not be looking for new sponsors, according to news reports.
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