Mid May saw MLS side New York City FC (NYCFC) team up with sponsor Mastercard to offer brand exposure in the form of its shirt sleeve sponsorship to a small business in the club’s community to support local traders receiver from the pandemic.
The initiative began at the start of 2021 when Mastercard and NYCFC launched a competition dedicated to small businesses which offered them a chance to become an ‘Official Small Business Partner’ of the club which included visibility on the stadium’s LED signage, across the club’s social networks and on the team’s shirt sleeve.
The objective was to bring to life Mastercard’s umbrella small business support service mission by helping local traders affected by the COVID-19 crisis.
The winning company was announced in early May as local Bronx craft chocolate maker Sol Cacao: a ‘Priceless’ moment for a company accustomed to bringing strong emotional experiences to life around sport.
Thus, for the remainder of the season, the Sol Cacao logo will appear on NYCFC shirt sleeves above a smaller MasterCard logo.
“As our local businesses continue to face unprecedented challenges as a result of the pandemic, we remain committed to helping and providing the tools and resources necessary not only to survive but also to thrive,” explained Mastercard VP of Marketing and Communications Cheryl Guerin.
Comment:
For Mastercard, this sponsorship activation seems an ideal to promote its services for and support of small business and also brings meaning to its partnership with the MLS football franchise.
There are echoes here of payment giant Paypal’s small business support activation with MLS side San Jose Earthquakes in the form of a stadium naming rights initiative which offers visibility to small businesses during every game at Paypal Park.
There are also echoes of New Zealand Rugby partner ASB’s brilliant ‘Borrow The All Blacks’ and ‘Borrow Eden Park’ activations.
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