Gentleman, pop your caps. After a prolonged absence, Molson Coors has renewed its longstanding association with the Honda Indy Toronto, inking a three-year deal as its official beer and cider partner.
Honda Indy Toronto president Charlie Johnstone said the sponsorship slot had been open since a three-year agreement with Amsterdam Brewery and Muskoka Brewery expired last year. Labatt had previously sponsored the event.
Molson Coors – and its forerunner Molson Canada – has a long association with the Honda Indy Toronto, serving as the race’s title sponsor between 1986 and 2006.
“The advantage we had is that there’s a trust and a relationship already in place because the relationship existed for so long, and the people I was dealing with at Molson already had a history with the event and knew its growth potential,” said Johnstone.
The Honda Indy Toronto president admitted a slight bias towards Molson Coors, having spent the early part of his career as a sales rep with the company. “I thought that if we were going to back with one of the major breweries, we should start with Molson first,” he said.
The deal gives Molson Coors event pouring rights for its entire brand portfolio, including Coors Light, Molson Canadian, Creemore, Granville Island, Molson Canadian Cider and Heineken. “They’re sensitive to the fact that the audience is changing, so they’ve got some more craft products available on site,” said Johnstone.
Coors Light will serve as the “lead brand,” featured on the Honda Indy Toronto website and accompanying signage. Johnstone said the organizations have developed an activation strategy, but declined to provide specifics.
“We want to create the sociability of a beer garden experience and we’re working with the team at Molson Coors to create a great fan engagement experience,” he said.
The Honda Indy Toronto no longer discloses attendance figures, but the three-day race is billed as the largest annual sporting event in Ontario.
Tier one sponsors for the race include Honda, Cooper Tire, Dr. Pepper, Sportsnet, Sheridan Hotels, Pizza Pizza and the Toronto Star. The event is still attempting to fill some open slots, such as financial services, with efforts taking on an added urgency because race weekend has been pushed up to June from July in order to accommodate the Pan Am Games.
“Our window has been shortened quite a bit,” said Johnstone. “There’s lots of competition, and it can take a while for people to get a handle on what the event is, what the offer is, and how it works to drive their business.”
