Chevy To Become Shirt Sponsor Of Manchester United

Chevrolet just announced that it will expand its partnership with Manchester United by becoming the shirt sponsor of the football club starting with the 2014/2015 season.

Currently, the Bow Tie brand is an Official Car Partner of the club and will become only the fifth shirt sponsor in the Club’s 134-year history, replacing Aon, whose partnership with United began in the 2010/2011 season.

“We are extremely proud to connect our brand, Chevrolet, with Manchester United and its passionate supporters all around the world,” said GM North America vice president of U.S. Sales and Service Alan Batey. “Manchester United’s statistics are impressive, but this relationship goes far beyond the numbers — this relationship is about connecting our brand with the deep-seated emotion that surrounds the team everywhere it goes.”

The GM Authority Take

This is huge. Chevy is already the automotive “partner” (read, sponsor) of Man U and putting the Bow Tie on the team’s shirts will not only increase the brand’s recognition during games, but will also result in the logo being used on shirts sold to fans — solidifying the brand’s presence further — all in an effort to boost Chevy sales around the world, especially in Europe and Asia. Sounds like a great move to us. Ironically, the news comes on the heels of the resignation of GM CMO Joel Ewanick, who apparently didn’t get the green light from the necessary people for the Man U sponsorship.