Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation and Team Penske, the most successful team in IndyCar racing history, today announced that they had entered into a multi-year sponsorship agreement for PVH's IZOD brand, title sponsor of the IZOD IndyCar Series, to sponsor Team Penske and its drivers. The agreement begins with the 2011 season.
The IZOD brand will sponsor all three Team Penske Dallara/Honda entries - the No. 6 car driven by winning driver Ryan Briscoe, the No. 3 machine piloted by three-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves and the No. 12 car driven by 2010 series runner-up Will Power. The IZOD brand will be the primary sponsor on Briscoe's No. 6 IZOD Team Penske Dallara/Honda at the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, as well as other selected IZOD IndyCar Series Championship races, including the yet-to-be-announced season finale event. IZOD, the sport-inspired lifestyle apparel brand, will serve as an associate sponsor on all three Team Penske cars for the full season.
"The IZOD brand's Team Penske sponsorship is a strategic decision to continue to build brand equity in the IZOD IndyCar Series and we are honored to join forces with such a storied operation," said Mike Kelly, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Phillips-Van Heusen. "We intend to leverage this partnership to expand the reach of our brand not only through the relationship with Team Penske but also through cross-promotional activities with Team Penske's other sponsors."
"Part of the IZOD brand's stated strategic approach to motorsports marketing is to partner with leading sponsors in the Series to further elevate the reach and awareness of the IndyCar sport and its brand," said Starke Taylor, Vice President Sponsorship and Activation for Phillips-Van Heusen. In 2010, the IZOD brand successfully partnered with IZOD IndyCar Series sponsors, including Honda, as part of the successful multi-media campaign around the "Fastest Seat in Sports," the program in which a custom-built, two-seat Honda led the field to the green flag at start of each of the races, starting with the Indianapolis 500.
As IZOD Indy Car Series title sponsor, the IZOD brand hosted a number of high-profile events, including a series of exhibits titled "In Pursuit of FAST: 100 Years of Indy Racing, Fashion and Design" held at Macy's throughout the country and parties integrating celebrities such as Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Diddy, Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Renner, Kim Kardashian, Greg Kinnear, and Mario Lopez, and music, including Dave Navarro and his band Camp Freddy, to drive visibility of the Series within pop culture and mainstream audiences. Events were hosted in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Toronto and Indianapolis during the 2010 season and served to expand the sport to new fans and revive interest in fans from the past. The IZOD brand and the IZOD Indy Car Series were also featured in the "Race to the Party" advertising campaign.
"Team Penske is excited to build this new relationship with Phillips-Van Heusen," said Roger Penske. "As we saw in 2010, they have put the full strength of their IZOD brand behind growing the sport of IndyCar racing and we believe they will be a terrific partner with our team and our drivers for years to come."
Team Penske is the winningest team in the history of North American open-wheel racing. The team has produced 153 race wins, 196 pole positions, 12 national championships and 15 Indianapolis 500 victories in IndyCar competition.
"I am really looking forward to driving under the IZOD brand, beginning next season," said Briscoe, who has earned six wins and 10 poles over the last three seasons competing for Team Penske. "The team behind the IZOD brand clearly has a passion for IndyCar racing and Team Penske will be working hard to bring them a victory in the Indianapolis 500 and, hopefully, a series championship in 2011."
The IZOD brand's first involvement with the sport came in July 2008, when it became the official apparel sponsor of the IndyCar Series, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Firestone Indy Lights. In November 2009, the brand announced its title sponsorship of the newly re-named IZOD IndyCar Series.
