Audi has signed on as official
luxury vehicle of the New York Yankees. The promotional relationship puts the Audi name in various areas of the new Yankee Stadium, such as the Audi Yankees Club, an exclusive viewing location and
membership restaurant located on the H&R Block Suite Level in left field. The sponsorship begins with the opening of the new field--and, per the company, will extend through the 2011 season.
The Audi Yankees Club will be a branded space with the Audi logo displayed on the glass entrance doors and on a glass partition at the entrance. The club will provide guests with a
luxurious location to view the game.
"As our brand continues to grow nationally, and in New York especially, a relationship with the Yankees makes perfect sense," said Scott Keogh, chief
marketing officer, Audi of America. "Opening up the Audi Yankees Club was a great opportunity to get Audi front and center with one of America's greatest franchises and to give Audi fans a terrific
place to enjoy the games."
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In addition, the Audi logo will be prominently located on the exterior facade of the H&R Block Suite Level, and the Audi brand will be featured on napkins,
brochures and televisions within the space.
An Audi representative says the Herndon, Va. company has a media buy on YES Network that includes spots during live games, encore presentation
games, Yankee post games, and title sponsorship of the pre-game show, "Audi Presents Yankees Batting Practice." He adds that this is the only relationship that Audi has in the U.S. with a professional
baseball team.
"The Yankees organization is and virtually always has been the model professional baseball franchise," he says. "This relationship helps to increase the Yankees' profile with
high-end consumers, while it helps Audi elevate our brand awareness in the key New York market."
He says this is primarily a regional effort with Audi's 28 dealers in the Tri-State Dealer Ad
Group that are responsible for marketing around the Yankees relationship.