Starting in January 2007 the deal will last into the next decade and signals the end of Vodafone's sponsorship of Ferrari, which the company says will be activated in the usual way in 2006.
The deal includes a number of benefits:
The team name will be ‘Vodafone McLaren Mercedes’;
Vodafone will be the ‘Official Mobile Partner’ of the team;
dominant title sponsorship branding on the new 2007 cars, drivers' and pit crews' overalls and helmets and other elements;
marketing activation opportunities including hospitality, merchandising, and promotional rights including access to drivers and track days;
behind-the-scenes access to the team, enabling Vodafone to bring exclusive content to Vodafone live! with 3G customers;
additional content will include racing news updates for the team, test results and full team biographies, the McLaren story, exclusive Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team games, videos, ringtones, wallpapers and screensavers.
Peter Bamford, Vodafone’s chief marketing officer, said: "We are excited about this new phase of involvement in motor racing. As title sponsor of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team it raises our association with Formula One to the ultimate level.
"The new agreement delivers a fantastic marketing platform; the associative rights we acquire as a result of this new sponsorship provide us with additional opportunities to continue to raise brand awareness, build brand preference and drive revenue.”
Said Ron Dennis, chairman and CEO of the McLaren Group and McLaren Mercedes Team Principal: "The status of the brand and the level of activation in support of the sponsorship were key criteria for our choice of title sponsor and Vodafone over-delivers in all respects.
"In addition, as our agreement is long-term, this provides important stability within the team, allowing us to focus fully on our objective of winning races and Championships together."
The company did not disclose financial terms of the new deal.
The Ferrari contract has been valued at about $40million a year.
Last month Vodafone announced it would terminate a £9million ($15.9million) a year shirt sponsorship deal with Manchester United two years early at the end of the 2005/2006 season.
The company will instead become both an official partner and the official mobile network of the Champions League.
