TDK, an official partner of the IAAF and the 16th World Athletics Championships, is activating its status via an integrated programme that includes an interactive brand booth at the athletes’ ‘Hero Village’.
The objective behind this on-site branded space is to introduce fans and athletes to the world of TDK and its exhibition content is spearheaded by a ‘9.58-second Championship Corner’: which offers visitors an opportunity to experience how far they can run in 9.58 seconds – the men’s 100m world record – using TDK’s in-house sensor technologies.
How far I can run in 9.58 secs! #TDK-WCA world athletics pic.twitter.com/YOimSIpboq
— Kerry Cullis (@kerry337) August 10, 2017
The booth also has an ‘innovation table’ introducing TDK’s four major milestone technologies, a ‘future town’ diorama of a future city as envisioned by TDK, as well as a VR-based presentation of how effectively TDK’s products are used in automobiles and smartphones.
Other strands of TDK’s work at London 2017, which sees around 2000 athletes from more than 200 countries compete between 4 and 13 August, includes:
> Male athlete bib sponsorship (with the TDK logo on the competitors’ number bibs)
> Support for new world records ((TDK will award $100,000 to male athletes setting new world records)
> A high profile LED logo board at the 100m start line
> Presence on LED advertising boards throughout the stadium, around the track and in-stadium
> Road race course ad boards
> Brand imagery on the big stadium screen
[世界陸上] 大会6日目、9日（水）の写真をアップしました！（男子400mハードル 決勝、男子5000m 予選、男子200m 準決勝） https://t.co/1l9nduGWkH #世界陸上 #London2017 pic.twitter.com/6Zlk8Q7EY7
— TDK_PR (@TDK_PR) August 10, 2017
How are cassette tape sales still strong enough for TDK to be able to sponsor the World Athletics Championships? #IAAFWorlds pic.twitter.com/65hR4TkU62
— The Cereal Quest (@thecerealquest) August 9, 2017
The activation also includes a set of student-led CSR activities related to the World Championships of Athletics (WCA) which saw TDK hold a track-and-field clinic workshop for local students at a middle school in London ahead of the Games on 10 July when the brand invited five athletes (including former Team GB legend and 110m hurdler Colin Jackson).
Linked to this clinic, during the WCA itself, TDK invited students to the stadium and offer them the chance to witness the outstanding performances of world-class athletes firsthand.
The Tokyo based electronics giant also supports other official partner activities for the IAAF World Championships: including providing sponsorship for broadcaster programs on Eurosport (in Europe) and BS-TBS (in Japan).
Plus it shares the drama of the athletics competition through a photo gallery on dedicated pages for the WCA set up on TDK’s website at http://www.global.tdk.com/athletic/gallery/.
[世界陸上] いよいよ8月4日（金）に世界陸上が開幕。TDKは今大会もオフィシャルパートナーとして大会をサポートします。
TDKのサイトでは、全大会の記録や歴史を紹介、大会中はフォトギャラリーを展開します！https://t.co/KdF8V5gH57 #世界陸上 pic.twitter.com/5nLW0dvOGm— TDK_PR (@TDK_PR) August 1, 2017
Comment:
TDK has been sponsoring the WCA since the inaugural event in Helsinki in 1983 as sponsor of the number bibs.
The sponsorship aims to reflect TDK’s commitment to support all those (in this case ‘athletes’) who are seeking to define their own futures through an unstinting commitment to attempt new records and personal improvements.
This approach to the partnership aims to reflect TDK’s own corporate commitment to defining its future by using its unique expertise to contribute to society with new technologies.
The company’s official IAA partnership agreement runs until 2019.
But judging from of the UK based social media reaction to London 2017 plenty of athletics fans and consumers are pretty unsure of quite what TDK does.
There are plenty of tongue-in-cheek tweets about the return of the cassette and/or VHS.
Based on TDK's 30+ year sponsorship of World Athletics Champs I reckon these things are on the way back in… #C90 #top40sundaynights pic.twitter.com/DEjHy0Ayi2
— Fergus Campbell (@frcampbell) August 7, 2017
Onto tdk sponsoring the athletics. Couldn't tell you anything they've ever made. Except for these. Taping the top 40 on one this Sunday. pic.twitter.com/fAZFPFKK5r
— Nick Roberts (@followthatnick) August 4, 2017
How are cassette tape sales still strong enough for TDK to be able to sponsor the World Athletics Championships? #IAAFWorlds pic.twitter.com/65hR4TkU62
— The Cereal Quest (@thecerealquest) August 9, 2017
TDK – Synonymous with 80s VHS tapes and elite athletics meetings. pic.twitter.com/JtVx5H8coH
— Ben Stokes (@RobotCanary) August 6, 2017
Links:
TDK
http://www.global.tdk.com/athletic/index.htm
https://www.youtube.com/user/TDKOfficialChannel
https://www.facebook.com/TDK.Corporation/
IAAF:
https://www.iaaf.org
https://www.youtube.com/IAAFathletics
https://twitter.com/iaaforg
https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthleticsClub
