Vix join Magpies to support the Salvos
The partnership is unparalleled as the first of its kind in Australian sport. It is the first time two of Australia’s biggest sports and two leading national teams have joined together in one major sponsorship agreement.
The sponsorship is also unique in that it combines strong national media and business programs with two major community initiatives.
The business program is already a success with Jason for the first time launching a range of Jason Family Bedding products in Kmart stores around Australia. A range of Jason quilts, pillows and electric blankets are being promoted in a national consumer promotion in Kmart stores that offers a range of monthly prizes and the chance for a family to attend the 2009 AFL Grand Final. Vixens and Collingwood players are also making a series of appearances in Kmart stores around the country.
The sponsorship will also make a major contribution to the community by providing important funding for a junior netball competition involving 30,000 players in Victorian Primary Schools; and also supporting the Salvation Army this winter through the Jason Blanket Day Appeal. Jason will become the inaugural sponsor of the Jason Family Bedding Cup, a netball competition run in Grades 5 and 6 in all primary schools throughout Victoria providing valuable funding support to the competition which involves 1850 schools, 3700 teams and 30,000 players.
Collingwood President Eddie McGuire said, “We are facing, tough economic times, particularly in the retail industry and this is a great example of innovation and foresight linking Jason Family Bedding products and Kmart with Australia’s two biggest and most popular sports. Collingwood’s alliance with the Melbourne Vixens continues to go from strength to strength.”
Australian Netball and Melbourne Vixens Captain Sharelle McMahon is thrilled with the new partnership. “It is true that ‘No One’s Tougher than Jason,’ but we think it is also true to say that ‘No One Is Smarter than Jason.’ Today’s announcement is further evidence of the growing power and commercial appeal of netball. By linking with Australia’s biggest female sport Jason will be foremost in the mind of hundreds of thousands of women and families involved in netball in Victoria and around the country,” she said.
Sleepmaster Managing Director Greg Roberts said, “The partnership has already delivered enormous value and we are delighted that Kmart has embraced the program showcasing for the first time a range of Jason products in Kmart stores nationally. AFL football and Netball have a unique place in the hearts of the Australian public and we are delighted to be associated with Collingwood and also pleased to be one of the first major partners of the Vixens and support the future development of netball.”
