Kia Motors announced today at a signing ceremony in Shanghai that it has secured a three-year deal to become the title sponsor of the Asian X Games. This latest in a line of high profile sport sponsorships by the automaker means that one of the world’s signature action sports competitions will be officially known and re-branded as the ‘Kia X Games Asia.’
Kia Motors has been a presenting sponsor of the competition since 2005 and the association has been extended and upgraded to further differentiate Kia’s young-at-heart and adventurous brand image in China and other Asian markets, and also amongst the emerging generation of new Kia Motors customers throughout the world.
Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Kia Motors Corporation, said, “We wanted to strengthen our association with this exciting event, which has become recognized in many circles as the Action Sports Olympics of Asia. Our consumer research shows that successful products such as the Kia Sportage, Kia Rio and our new European-made cee’d, for example, resonate loudly with a young, dynamic and sports-orientated audience.”
“The Kia X Games Asia is an ideal opportunity to continue to build our association with this community and enhance awareness of our brand values in the Chinese market and beyond,” he added.
The Kia X Games Asia 2007 will take place in Shanghai, China from 3rd to 5th of May. The 2007 games will be the ninth competition since 1998 and is promoted and organized in Asia by ESPN International, with the corporation of ESPN STAR Sports. The competition is due to take place annually in China through 2009.
Harvey Davis, Managing Director of ESPN STAR Sports, said, “This year, the Kia X Games Asia has all the elements of being a great success. The support of Kia Motors, the title sponsor, the Yang Pu District and other partners is evidence of a commitment to seeing it flourish.”
More than 200 top athletes from America, Brazil, Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries will compete for over US$100,000 in prize money, medals and glory in five categories: Aggressive Inline Skating; Skateboarding; BMX freestyle; Sport Climbing; and Moto X.
Last year, Kia Motors estimated that ongoing media exposure from the Asian X Games was worth around US$12 million to the company through the display of the Kia logo on television broadcasts, TV commercials and press materials. Kia expects to receive even more public value from the title sponsorship of the event this year.
For results and more information on Kia X Games Asia 2007, please visit www.kiaxgamesasia.com.
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kiamotors.com or www.kia.com) -- one of the fastest growing automakers in the world -- 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. Kia’s 13 manufacturing and assembly operations in 9 countries produce more than 1.3 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 165 countries. Kia today has over 33,000 employees and annual revenues of almost $19 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. From 2007 to 2014, Kia will be an official automotive partner of FIFA -- the governing body of the FIFA World Cup. Kia Motors Corporation’s brand slogan -- “The Power to Surprise” -- represents the company’s global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.
