Earlier this April, Opel has officially announced a partnership with Turkish soccer club Galatasaray Istanbul. The club has 18 national championships, 14 cup victories, and calls itself “the most popular and successful soccer club in Turkey”, and Opel says that the partnership is the next building block in the brand’s strategy.
According to Opel, the partnership will allow the European General Motors subsidiary to capitalize on advertising opportunities with and surrounding the club. The Galatasaray Istanbul deal, whose amount hasn’t been disclosed, follows an agreement with Feyenoord Rotterdam as one of the leading Dutch teams.
“Opel and soccer – a perfect fit”, said Dr. Thomas Sedran, Opel Vice President Operations, Business Development and Strategies. “The connection stands for brand values like dynamics, performance and passion. Galatasaray Istanbul is an important part of this, particularly in light of the growing markets in Eastern Europe. This won’t be the last step we take to further reinforce the connection between Opel and soccer.” Club president Ünal Aysal adds that “Galatasaray and Opel share many common values and both have a rich heritage. We are happy to be part of this professional collaboration and look forward to many shared successes.”
On April 9th, Galatasaray was defeated by Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final, preventing the Instanbul team from reaching the last four of the UEFA Cup Champions League.
Preceding the deal with Galatasaray, Opel’s British sister brand Vauxhall signed partnerships with the national teams of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In the German National League, Opel is partnered with Borussia Dortmund, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, SC Freiburg and FSV Mainz 05. Meanwhile, Chevrolet is a sponsor to Manchester United and Liverpool F.C.
The GM Authority Take
The General and its brands seem to be on a major push to make all kinds of advertising and marketing partnerships with European soccer teams, all in an effort to build the brands and sell more cars. Let’s hope the efforts will pay off.