NISSAN Australia has replaced Audi as the official automotive partner of the Hawthorn Football Club with a three-year deal signed this week in Melbourne.

Nissan Australia managing director Stephen Lester said the deal, which started on Monday December 10, was designed to build the car-maker’s brand awareness, strengthen Nissan’s opportunities to engage with the community and help market Nissan vehicles to a wide audience across multiple buyer demographics.

“Today is a great day for the Nissan brand in Australia,” said Mr Lester at the signing.

“Likeminded in our approach, Hawthorn is the family club that has the fans and its members at the forefront of everything that it does. This mirrors Nissan and our dealers who are committed to our customers past, present and future.

“This partnership enables Nissan to engage with AFL fans nationally and sustain our presence in the market. It represents an exciting opportunity.”

Hawthorn Football Club CEO Justin Reeves said Hawthorn was excited to welcome Nissan to its family and the club was looking forward to success in the years ahead.

Nissan is “an incredibly well-respected brand across Australia and the globe”, he said.

“Nissan’s company ethos aligns closely with what our club stands for, with both organisations striving for the highest quality and success in everything we do.”

The sponsorship includes Nissan branding on the team shorts and coaches’ apparel, Hawthorn media backdrop and change room signage on game day.

The sponsorship also provides Nissan with activation opportunities at home games, branding at the MCG and at games held in Tasmania, and access to corporate facilities including the creation of the Nissan Lounge at the MCG.

The relationship also extends to the Box Hill Hawks in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and Hawthorn’s women’s team, in the Victorian Football League Women’s competition (VFLW).

Nissan ambassadors from the senior coaching and AFL playing group will be announced in due course.

Largely through Leo Daphne, a long-standing Nissan chief executive who was also club president of the Tigers, Nissan has a history of AFL involvement. It was most recently a major sponsor at Richmond Football Club between 1998 and 2002, then returned to the Tigers in 2009 and 2010.

Nissan is an active sponsor of elite Australian sport and also supports Melbourne City Football Club (A League) and Netball Australia.

---

To date, the automotive sponsors of the 18 AFL teams are:

North Melbourne (Mazda)

Melbourne (Infiniti)

Adelaide (Toyota)

St Kilda (none)

Gold Coast Suns (none)

Hawthorn (Nissan, previously Audi)

Sydney Swans (Volkswagen)

Essendon (none, previously Kia)

Collingwood (Holden)

Geelong (Ford, for 94 years)

Richmond (Jeep)

Carlton (Hyundai)

Port Adelaide (none, previously Renault)

Fremantle (none)

West Coast (Toyota as event partner)

Brisbane Lions (Hyundai)

GWS Giants (Kia)

Western Bulldogs (Mercedes-Benz Vans).

By Neil Dowling