AIA announces sponsorship of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
Monday, 19 August 2013 00:00
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AIA Group Ltd. (AIA), the largest pan-Asian insurance company, announced that it has entered into an agreement to become English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur’s cup shirt sponsor for the 2013/2014 season.
AIA’s sponsorship will see AIA displayed on the club’s shirts during all three knock-out cup competitions: English FA Cup, Capital One English League Cup and Europa League. Tottenham Hotspur, also known as Spurs, is one of the top ranked teams in the English Premier League and has a following of over 180 million people globally and 80 million in Asia.
The club is one of only three clubs to have won the FA Cup eight times or more and has won the Capital One English League Cup on four occasions. It was the first British club to win a European trophy after lifting the European Cup Winners’ Cup and has also won the Europa League, when it was known as the UEFA Cup, on two occasions. Last year, it reached the quarterfinals of the Europa League, dismissing some of the European greats along the way.
The AIA cup shirt will debut in the first match of the Europa League this season on 22 August against Dinamo Tbilisi.
Mark Tucker, AIA Group Chief Executive and President, said: “AIA is proud to be supporting Tottenham Hotspur. We know that Spurs has a massive fan base in the Asia-Pacific and in general that English football holds an immense and increasing attraction to football fans throughout the region. We are excited by our association with Spurs and to be working with them as we continue to communicate the strength of the AIA brand to consumers in our 17 markets around the Asia-Pacific region.” Commenting on the partnership, Tottenham Hotspur Chairman Daniel Levy said: “We are delighted to welcome AIA, one of the world’s leading Life insurers, as a Tottenham Hotspur Partner. AIA has a unique and long history in the Asia-Pacific, and today is a high-growth company and a clear market leader in its field. We are pleased to have the AIA name on our shirts, particularly given the stature and strength of the AIA brand. We look forward to working closely with AIA over the coming season and introducing our club to more fans in AIA’s home, the dynamic Asia-Pacific region.”
The sponsorship supports AIA’s new brand position as ‘The Real Life Company’. The positioning reflects the company’s longstanding commitment to be deeply engaged in people’s lives and to be committed to providing the right financial solutions for customers and their families throughout all of life’s ups and downs. Reflecting on the sponsorship, Chief Executive of AIA New Zealand, Wayne Besant, said: “We are delighted to be supporting such a prestigious club and leading global sport. The appeal of football is universal and increasingly a part of our sporting nation.”
