The Infiniti Red Bull Racing team will specifically be sponsored by Edifice, Casio’s line of men’s analogue metal watches, for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Under the agreement, Edifice will act as the official team watch and the Casio logo will appear on the two drivers’ racing suits, mechanics’ uniforms as well as the race cars.
The collaboration between the two parties, which began in 2009, is said to work well due to both partners sharing a youthful, energetic image and the pursuit for technology developments.
Senior managing director and senior general manager of Casio’s global marketing headquarters, Hiroshi Nakamura, said the partnership had proved “very effective for worldwide promotion of the Edifice brand”.
Closer to home, Australian national sales and marketing manager of Casio Timepiece, Bruno Bouchet, explained that the collaboration had significantly helped to provide strong local marketing campaigns in the past – especially given that one of the team’s drivers was Mark Webber.
“Having an Australian legend of Mark Webber’s calibre not only wear your watches but be the face of your brand was a terrific marketing coup for Casio,” Bouchet said.
“Edifice is a young and innovative brand, so the partnership with Sebastian Vettel [the world’s youngest four-time Formula One champion] was also a perfect fit.”
While Webber has since left the team, fellow Australian, Daniel Ricciardo, has replaced him.
Bouchet added that as part of the renewed deal, local retailers would have access to special point of sale material such as signed helmets and suits worn by Vettal during the last Formula One series.
Special edition watches
In addition to using team images in Edifice advertising, Casio will release exclusive collaborative watch models in an effort to further enhance the brand’s exposure.
Bouchet confirmed that the timepieces would be available in Australia from the following retailers: Angus & Coote, Myer, Wallace Bishop, Bevilles and the Nuance Group.
The five models will be unveiled during the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne and will be available for purchase from Thursday 13 March.
Bouchet said that similar initiatives had worked well in the past.
“Previous collaboration watches between Edifice and Infiniti Red Bull Racing have all ended up being best-sellers for us. Not only are they highly functional and beautiful watches but the association with such an iconic and successful Formula One team means that the models have always moved quickly.”
Along with the Infiniti Red Bull Racing partnership, Casio has also teamed up with well-known personalities such as Eminem, Wu-Tang Clan and Ke$ha for its G-Shock and Baby-G product lines.
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