November 12 – AC Milan have built on their popularity in Japan signing a sponsorhsip with leading retail store chain Lawson. The deal was announced at a Sponsor Day at the club by CEO and VP Barbara Berlusconi.
Lawson operates nearly 12,000 stores in Japan and has expanded overseas including into China, Indonesia, Thailand and Hawaii. Lawson emphasises its local connections under the marketing line ‘Creating Happiness and Harmony in Our Communities’, and provides entertainment and sports related services.
Fly Emirates is AC Milan’s main sponsor and talks are currently on-going to renew the current partnership which ends June 2015.
Other partners attending the Sponsor Day included new sponsor, private postal service Nexive, as well as long-term partners that have upgraded their commitments such as tyre manufacturer Toyo Tire and snack food brand McVities.
The Japanese deal with Lawson marks a new sponsorship and marketing phase for the club which has played Japan six times since the 1980s and has been FIFA Club World Cup champions three times.
Ken Sakamoto, President and Representative Director of Lawson HMV Entertainment, commented: “We are honored to have the opportunity to support the world’s most beloved sport and specifically a club that has always led the world of football. As someone involved in the entertainment business and also being a football fan myself, I am extremely excited about this partnership.”
Barbara Berlusconi, Vice President and CEO of AC Milan, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Lawson Group as the Official Partner of the club in Japan. This partnership reflects the global reach of AC Milan and we are truly honored to be partnering with a ‘community-based’ organisation like Lawson.”
The agreement was brokered by AC Milan’s marketing agency Infront via Japanese advertising agency Dentsu.
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