automotive

Hertz Dresses Up With Tom Brady, Heads To The Speedway


Hertz is revving its engines, heading to the world's biggest racing stage in outfits from Brady, the apparel line launched by retired quarterback Tom Brady.

Hertz Team JOTA is the new team competing in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). And it will also race at the 100th edition of the legendry Le Mans 24 Hours, one the world's largest sporting events.

The race, which has inspired movies like "Le Mans" and "Ford v Ferrari," "is just such a famous event," says Wayne Davis, Hertz' chief marketing officer. "It seemed like a perfect fit for Hertz, with our commitment to speed, reliability and innovation."

It helps that this style of racing continues to be wildly popular internationally. "Hertz is a global brand, and this is a global race seen across many countries. We look at this as Hertz truly making a splash in the global scene."

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Davis tells Marketing Daily that the deal builds on the brand's connection to Brady, who has appeared in Hertz ads promoting its fleet of electric vehicles.

Brady is a sponsor of the hypercar motor racing team, which will race a Porsche 963, as is Singer Group, the California luxury company known for its work restoring Porsche vehicles.

"Consumers respond to Tom's pursuit of excellence, and he resonates as a winner and champion, not just in the U.S. but worldwide."

Brady's name will appear on the vehicles and racing suits.

The sponsorship is part of Hertz's efforts to distinguish itself "as a premier brand in the mobility space. Obviously, we want to be at the forefront of excellence in car rental experience, whether someone wants a basic sedan or a prestige car, like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500."

But it also extends to EVs, as it's been stepping up those connections. Recently, for example, it announced programs with BP Pulse to install thousands of chargers in Denver. And earlier this year, it announced a partnership with Uber, making up to 25,000 EVs available to Uber drivers in Europe.

"As the world is moving more towards electric vehicles, we want to make sure Hertz is at the forefront, with offers for customers that want to experience EVs for the first time," Davis says.

Marketing for the racing team will include a website that serves "as a launch pad for all things related to this race team and everything we do in the racing world. And we'll promote it to race fans on all our social channels.”

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