Sport Event Sponsorship as significant tool for Emirates brand promotion

This type of promotion costs a lot for airlines, but it worth that price because of an emotional attachment with current and potential clients which increases the consumers’ engagement. For instance, if we take a look at Emirates Airlines, we will define this brand often associated with Arsenal FC or Benfica FC, or even with Rugby World Cup 2015.

With its long-standing commitment to sport sponsorships, Emirates airline has been involved with a wide range of sporting events and teams around the world for over 20 years. In 1987, only two years after its inception, Emirates began to build up its sponsorship portfolio.

Today the airline is linked to some of the world’s leading sport events, spread across the six continents that Emirates flies non-stop to from Dubai.

Through the association with these prestigious sporting events, the airline also helps to promote Dubai as an international destination for sport, business and tourism. The award-winning airline now flies to more than 120 points in over 70 countries.

Emirates has multilateral relationship as a sponsor in football, golf, cricket, rugby, horse racing, tennis, Australian rules football, sailing.

Recent Sponsorships:

›› Arsenal FC

›› Benfica FC

›› Real Madrid

›› F1

›› Rugby World Cup 2015

›› Lancashire County Cricket Club

including Emirates Old Trafford

›› Paris Saint-Germain

›› Olympiacos FC

›› New York Cosmos

›› Roland Garros

›› Barcelona Open

Emirates has an equally impressive portfolio of sponsorships at European club level with partnerships including AC Milan, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal. In 2004, Emirates and Arsenal Football Club signed the biggest club sponsorship in English football history. The deal included naming rights to the new stadium, which is known as the Emirates Stadium, as well as an eight-year shirt sponsorship deal from season of 2007.

In December 2012, Emirates renewed its partnership with Arsenal Football Club, extending the airline’s relationship with the English Premier League club, which dates back to 2004. The new £150 million deal grants Emirates a five year extension to its shirt partnership with the club until the end of the 2018/2019 season. As well as being one of the biggest deals in the history of the game, the agreement extends and deepens one of the strongest and most recognisable partnerships in world sport.

In addition to shirt sponsorship, Emirates is proud to hold the naming rights to Arsenal’s home ground, Emirates Stadium, a state-of-the-art 60,000 seat arena in London. As well as hosting Arsenal’s home games, Emirates Stadium has hosted six international matches and a number of music concerts in recent years. 

Emirates Stadium has proven to be a very good investment for Emirates, working globally across a network linking over 140 destinations in six continents, people around the world are truly proud to be associated with such an incredible project.

Arsenal is one of the best supported clubs in the world allowing Emirates to reach an international audience. Research shows that Arsenal has a phenomenal global fan base, and Emirates is confident that it has found a true world leader to partner with on the international stage.

Another significant sponsorship of Emirates is Sport Lisboa e Benfica. It is a club with a rich history and an impressive trophy cabinet and Emirates is proud to have become a Main Sponsor of the club at the start of the 2015/16 season. Top of the Portuguese Primeira Liga for a record breaking 34 times, the Lisbon based club has a strong reputation for being a force to be reckoned with in European Club football and a dedicated fan base to match.

Emirates first joined forces with S.L. Benfica for the 2014/15 season as the Official Airline Partner, a partnership which was soon extended when the airline signed a three-year deal to become the club’s Main Sponsor and to see the iconic Fly Emirates across the kit.

In October 2015, Emirates together with Benefica have made a breakthrough in branding through sport events. Truly innovative action performed by eight Emirates Air Hostesses.

An entertaining safety demonstration with a twist and scarves became global viral and enormously increased visibility of partnership between the Emirates and Benfica FC.

Emirates has created an amazing attachment at Estádio da Luz in Portugal that gave Benfica supporters a few recommendations on how to share their passion for the club in the Emirates way. Eight Emirates Cabin Crew made their way to the centre circle of the pitch and proceeded to give a very special Benfica supporter demonstration. Taking their cues from the traditional airline safety demonstration, the eight crew stood facing Lisbon football fans and gave an impassioned, witty and entertaining demonstration on how to support the club, including the placement of a scarf over the shoulders in a sign of “benfiquism”. 

Benfica Safety Video by Emirates

Boutros Boutros, Emirates’ The Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand commented on this activity: 

“This activation is a perfect example of the way we like to connect with our customers through sponsorship. It was light-hearted, fun and combined our passion for football with Benfica supporters’ passion for their club. We wanted to take the opportunity to do something that the fans in the stadium would remember and we think this worked. We may even try an adaption of this on one of our flights and see how the passengers react.” 

This campaign  in the stadium complemented the #HelloLisbon competition hosted on Emirates’ social media channels which invited fans, at the match and watching at home, to creatively capture how they support Benfica and win two Economy Class flights from Lisbon to anywhere on the Emirates route network. 

Emirates demonstrates the ability to create dynamic and engaging campaigns that allow brand to raise the consumer engagement and to build a global community. Emirates brand uses sponsorships as their major tool in reaching consumers. 

Thus, Emirates - A Committed Supporter of Global Sports.

Source: Emirates Official website

Picture credits: Emirates Corporate Website

Video Credits: Emirates Official Page on YouTube.com