In addition to new deals with German wheel producers BBS and Italian automotive equipment manufacturer Sparco, the Subaru World Rally team has attracted fresh sponsorship partnerships from companies not usually associated with the sport - Norway’s Orkla Foods, and the global internet technology company NTT Communications.
Run from January to November, the World Rally Championship (WRC) season is four months longer than the Formula One calendar, and visits sixteen countries around the world.
The first of the sixteen rallies that make up the 2005 WRC got underway last weekend in Monte Carlo.
Verio Europe, a subsidiary of NTT Communications, will use the partnership to showcase its range of on-line technology systems via the team’s website swrt.com. Visited by more than 160,000 fans during each rally, swrt.com has 50,000 registered subscribers and is one of the most popular sites in the WRC.
NTT Communications will use the Championship to reach a global audience of more than 2.5 million.
Orkla Foods will use the team to promote its products, including the ‘Big One’ range of frozen pizzas. As part of the deal, driver Petter Solberg will feature in a Norwegian television campaign, and the company plans to launch limited edition, rally-themed products in the region.
