• by Tanya Gazdik , May 20, 2012

Volkswagen of America is partnering with Dave Matthews Band for its 2012 summer tour.

The band will be stopping in 40 cities nationwide. Throughout the tour, Volkswagen will give fans the opportunity to win tickets and on-site upgrades.

“The partnership allows us to engage with our fans while bringing together shared passions of great music and environmental responsibility,” said Tim Mahoney, chief product and marketing officer, Herndon, Virginia-based Volkswagen of America, in a release.

This is not the first automotive sponsor for the band. Last summer Chrysler's Jeep brand sponsored Dave Matthews' four-city summer music festival. As sponsor of the "Dave Matthews Band Caravan," Jeep had an experiential marketing footprint at tour stops and the 2011 Compass was the exclusive automotive sponsor for the tour.

This summer’s partnership is a good fit for VW since the band is respected as one of the leaders in environmental touring practices, and shares Volkswagen’s Think Blue commitment to sustainability, Mahoney said.

Think Blue is Volkswagen’s global approach to encouraging eco-conscious mobility and progressive ideas for responsible action in everyday life. Volkswagen is striving to create more fuel efficient products and solutions as well as encourage more environmentally centric behavior.

As part of this summer’s partnership, Volkswagen will support the tour’s fan experience by sponsoring the Dave Matthews Band’s Eco-Village, an area where fans participate in educational activities and provide exposure to local and national non-profits such as the Bama Green Project, an environmental philanthropy between Reverb, Dave Matthews Band, and non-profit IZStyle.

Fans will learn about technology offering environmental benefits, sample new products, and play carnival contests to win prizes. Volkswagen will bring educational, interactive activations that make fans rethink energy and transportation.

The tour kicked off May 18 at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, Texas.