• by Aaron Baar , May 13, 2008

More than a year into its sponsorship as the official bank of Nascar, Bank of America is finally set to begin airing a racing-themed television spot, promoting its My Expression Nascar program.

"We just became official sponsor at the end of 2006," company representative Joe Goode tells Marketing Daily. "We used last year to do some testing and build our Nascar-themed platforms."

The commercial--which will begin running this week in Charlotte, N.C. and will run in Atlanta and Dallas as races come to those cities--highlights the array of drivers the company has enlisted to appear on credit and debit cards, and the fans' affinity for each one. The commercial intercuts race footage with fans celebrating the drivers. One sequence shows a living room divided between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon, while other fans show affinity for Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya and Martin Truex.

The effort is intended to tout Bank of America's Nascar banking program--a rewards program that includes the ability to have driver-branded check cards, checks and credit cards featuring the images of several current and former Nascar racers, including Earnhardt Jr., Kahne, Montoya, Truex, Paul Menard, Rusty Wallace and the late Dale Earnhardt. The rewards points can be redeemed for officially licensed merchandise and one-of-a-kind experiences like dinner with a favorite driver or waving the starting flag at the Bank of America 500 later this year (for 500,000 points), Goode says.

The program aims to capture a Nascar fan's natural affinity for individual drivers and their personalities, Goode says. "It very much plays up a fan's passion for the driver."

In addition to the regional markets, the television commercial--which will also have print, radio and on-site support--will air on ABC and ESPN broadcasts of Sprint Cub Series races, Goode says. "As a marketing platform, it allows us to connect with 75 million race fans across the country," Goode says of the partnership. "According to our research, Nascar fans are four times more likely to buy our products" than everyone else.

Bank of America has recently ratcheted up its sports marketing efforts. Last month, the company launched a "You know baseball" promotion, featuring a trivia contest and an opportunity to attend the All-Star game. The company has begun a 19-city tour in which a mobile recording studio will collect cheers for U.S. Olympic athletes. The cheers can be heard (and some viewed) at Americascheer.com.