BERLIN: Hyundai Motor announced on Thursday a 3-year deal with Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin, becoming its new global automotive partner. Hyundai’s logo will be seen on the sleeve of the Hertha jersey until the 2020-2021 season.
As part of the partnership, Hyundai will collaborate with the club to ease mobility and make football more accessible to the club’s supporters through a number of fan-focused initiatives. The South Korean automobile giant will also be featured on the club’s LED perimeter and hospitality branding during its home fixtures.
Hyundai will also get access to players for media and digital content initiatives. Much like during the FIFA World Cup 2018, the company will provide a fleet of cars for Hertha Berlin’s operational and logistical requirements besides its own promotional purposes.
The partnership can be seen as a strategic one as Hyundai has set up its European headquarters of its automobile and motorsport operations, technical and design centres in Germany. It also has a test centre of its own next to the world-famous Nürburgring circuit, where Formula 1 races are held.
With this deal, Hyundai also continues to venture into top European football leagues, being associated with Olympique Lyonnais in France’s Ligue 1, Chelsea FC in England’s Premier League and Atlético Madrid in Spain’s La Liga.
Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, vice president Marketing & Product at Hyundai Motor Europe, said: “Hertha BSC is a very successful club with a passionate fan base and a challenging spirit that matches well with Hyundai. Our new partnership will enable us to increase our visibility amongst millions of fans in Germany and worldwide, while also allowing us to create new opportunities for Hertha BSC fans and customers throughout the season. It is also very fitting for Hyundai to have such a partnership in Germany, where we have already established a significant operational presence including facilities for design, R&D, motorsport and sales and marketing.”
Ingo Schiller, managing director at Hertha BSC, says: “We are very pleased about the new partnership and also proud to be part of the new sponsoring strategy by Hyundai in Europe in the upcoming years, seeing Hertha BSC alongside top clubs like Chelsea FC and Atlético de Madrid.”
