• by Emily Burg , June 25, 2007

Sony Electronics has signed a personal endorsement deal with NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., who will appear in a new campaign for its high-definition Bravia television.

Earnhardt will promote a variety of Sony Electronics products and make personal appearances each year as part of the agreement.

The deal aligns with Sony's pre-existing ties to NASCAR. Sony Electronics has been an active supporter of NASCAR for the past seven years and is the official high-definition TV partner of NASCAR.

" This aligns perfectly with Sony's approach to consumer electronics and makes this partnership especially fitting," said Stuart Redsun, senior vice president of corporate marketing at Sony Electronics, in a statement.

Earnhardt has been selected by race fans as a four-time winner of NASCAR's most popular driver award. He also was selected as the fifth-most-liked athlete in America in Harris Interactive polling in 2006. Earnhardt has been among the top-10-most-liked athletes in the poll for three consecutive years.