Kia renews global partnership with tennis sensation Rafael Nadal

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2008-07-08 16:46

Seoul--(뉴스와이어)--Kia Motors Corporation - a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart - has announced that it has extended the partnership with its global brand ambassador and reigning Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal for another three years through 2011. The agreement will enable Kia to continue featuring Nadal in its global print and television advertising campaigns as well as event appearances such as major motor shows.

Kia’s association with Nadal is in line with its deep involvement with the game of tennis. This past January, Kia extended its multi-million U.S. dollar partnership with the Australian Open (one of the four international ‘Grand Slam’ championships) as the major sponsor until 2013. Kia has further broadened its relationship with tennis through its official worldwide sponsorship of the Davis Cup (the world’s premier international team tennis competition) and association with tennis stars such as Andre Agassi, previously, and Rafael Nadal, currently, as global brand ambassadors.

Hyoung-Keun Lee, Senior Executive Vice President & COO of the International Business Division, said, “We are extremely happy to extend this partnership with Mr. Nadal as his continued growth, dynamic spirit and dedication to his craft ties in directly with the vision we have for Kia Motors.

“Supporting talented, young athletes with enormous potential at an international level not only allows us to further our brand among key audiences, but also promotes a great spirit of evolution, which is what Kia Motors is all about.”

Commenting on the newly extended partnership with Kia Motors, Rafael Nadal, said, “I am proud to be able to continue this relationship with Kia Motors as I believe in creating long-lasting relationships. I have been supported by the company for a number of years already, and am happy to be able to grow both with the company and as a professional athlete for many more years to come.”

Nadal, the 22-year old Spaniard and current world No. 2 ranked men’s professional player, took the world of tennis by storm when he made his professional debut in 2001 at the age of just 16. He won 10 titles before turning 20 years-old, an achievement unsurpassed in the Open era. He is the four-time defending French Open champion and just last weekend won his first Wimbledon Grand Slam title, beating storied rival and world No. 1 ranked Roger Federer. Nadal is the first player since Björn Borg in 1980 to win both the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back and holds the all-time consecutive clay court winning streak of 81 matches.

Aside from tennis, Kia has boosted its brand in line with its young-at-heart target customer base through other exciting sports marketing initiatives like football (soccer). It is a EUROTOP Partner of UEFA, which included sponsorship of last month’s EURO 2008 Championships, as well as an official automotive partner of FIFA, which will include sponsorship of the next two World Cups. The company is also building its brand image among the Y-generation through its title sponsorship of the KIA X Games Asia.

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Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) -- a maker of quality vehicles for the young-at-heart -- was founded in 1944 and is Korea's oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world's premier automotive brands. More than 1.4 million vehicles a year are produced in 14 manufacturing and assembly operations in eight countries which are then sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 165 countries. Kia today has over 40,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of almost US$17 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. Kia is an official automotive partner of FIFA -- the governing body of the FIFA World Cup -- as well as a EUROTOP partner of UEFA. Kia Motors Corporation's brand slogan -- "The Power to Surprise" -- represents the company's global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.

웹사이트: http://www.kiamotors.com