Long-time Olympic supporters RBC and Hudson’s Bay Company are the first premier national brands to renew their sponsorship commitment to Canada’s Olympic Team beyond the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) made the announcement Friday morning at a press event emceed by CTV host Brian Williams.Bonnie Brooks, president and CEO of The Bay; Gordon M. Nixon, president and CEO of RBC; COC president, Marcel Aubut; Canadian Minister of Finance, Jim Flaherty and Canadian Olympic athletes were in attendance.
Both deals have been expanded from past sponsorship agreements to include additional marketing programs and fundraising initiatives. For instance, RBC, an Olympic sponsor since 1947, will focus more on athlete funding and a sponsorship of the National Sport Federation (NSF).
“RBC believes that investing in our athletes is an investment in Canada, and we are proud to renew this partnership and help make a positive difference in amateur sport,” said RBC’s Nixon.
“In the next phase of our partnership, we will continue to build our athlete development program, connecting our Olympic heroes and hopefuls with Canadians across the country to share their passion and excitement for sport,” he said.
The Bay has made a larger investment than previous years, and has signed on as the Olympic Team’s official outfitter through to 2020. The new deal involves merchandise, marketing, and philanthropic programs similar to the highly talked-about red mitten campaign from the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
“With the Hudson’s Bay Company’s long history of outfitting Canada’s Olympic athletes, we are thrilled to announce this new and exciting chapter in our partnership,” said Brooks.
