Leave the Mercedes-Benz badge only to luxury cars? That's what any ordinary automaker would do. The Tri-Pointed Star is, of course, taking a more creative approach. First, they attached their name to a series of fashion weeks. Now?
Now, Mercedes-Benz is adding their name to the high-profile, Louisiana Superdome. You might recognize the architectural phenomenon as refuge for Hurricane Katrina evacuees, home of previous Super Bowl championships and the site of the forthcoming 2013 Super Bowl.
Mercedes-Benz announced their 10-year naming rights over the Superdome with the New Orleans Saints, on October 3. The agreement is, without a doubt, a touchdown for both parties. Mercedes-Benz gains a decade of elite exposure. And funds from the Tri-Pointed Star are expected to replace the majority of subsidiaries Louisiana currently provides the Saints. To put this into perspective: In a lease that expired two years ago, the famous football team received over $186-million in state assistance!
"The investment being made by a premier international brand who believes in 'the best or nothing', is a tremendous compliment to all of those who worked so hard to make the stadium what it is today,"1 beamed Tom Benson, Owner, New Orleans Saints, promoting the deal. Taking a slightly more political stance, Stephen Cannon, VP, Marketing, Mercedes-Benz said, "The Superdome was an icon for how we (as a society) did things wrong, but now is an icon for rebirth."2
While the tones might be different, the message is clear. Both sides are very excited about the collaboration. We at Mercedes-Benz of Shrewsbury located at 760 Boston Turnpike Road in Shrewsbury, MA, are too. It's refreshing to see Mercedes-Benz have the tenacity, and out-of-the-box thinking to go from showroom floor to runway to astroturf. Plus, it serves as the perfect precursor to an exciting season both in terms of the kick-off of new Mercedes-Benz models and winning percentages of your home team.
Sources:
-1 http://www.autoweek.com/article/20111005/CARNEWS/111009957-1 http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1066872_mercedes-benz-has-a-new-flagship-property-the-superdome