DETROIT (AP) — From the long line of Corvettes in the players’ parade to new models perched atop the center-field wall, General Motors Corp. will be giving All-Star Game fans constant reminders of the Motor City’s biggest claim to fame.
The world’s largest automaker signed an estimated $50 million deal with Major League Baseball in the spring to be its national sponsor through 2007. As part of the agreement, Chevrolet is the exclusive automotive sponsor of tomorrow’s All-Star Game.
GM has placed an ad on its Renaissance Center headquarters that shows a giant baseball hitting the building and the words, “4,612 ft.,” the distance to Comerica Park’s home plate. The Detroit Opera House and the city’s People Mover tram also feature GM ads.
The company provided MLB with 60 Chevrolets for the weekend. An additional 40 Corvettes and SSR pickups will parade players from the Fox Theatre to Comerica Park today. Chevy HHRs and SSRs were parked at a party at the Detroit Science Center yesterday, and vintage Chevrolets will be on display at the All-Star gala tonight.
GM plans to beam images of Detroit, baseball and Chevrolets onto eight buildings surrounding the park during the game. Chevrolet will present the trophy for the most valuable player and will give the winner keys to a new Chevy.
Ed Peper, Chevrolet’s general manager, said MLB has a fan base of 177 million, and All-Star Game officials are hoping this year’s attendance tops the 94,000 fans who were in Houston last year.
“Premier properties like the All-Star Game provide Chevy with a unique opportunity to get in front of these customers,” Mr. Peper said.
GM spokesman Jeff Kuhlman would not say how much the automaker is spending on All-Star Game promotions.
Chevrolet is nearing the end of a 20-month drive to introduce 10 all-new or revamped vehicles. The brand’s sales were up 7.9 percent in the first six months of the year, helped by strong sales of the Malibu and Malibu Maxx cars and the Equinox sport utility vehicle.
GM’s exclusive deal will ensure it receives the lion’s share of attention this week. Other automakers said they will have limited involvement in the game.
DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group is using its suite at Comerica Park to entertain people who have joined the United Way campaign this year, spokesman Jason Vines said. Ford Motor Co. spokesman David Reuter said the No. 2 U.S. automaker doesn’t have any corporate events scheduled for the All-Star Game, although it will be promoting its new employee discount program in ads during the broadcast.
For all three automakers, the weekend of activities is just a small taste of what’s to come in February, when Detroit hosts the Super Bowl.
Mr. Kuhlman said GM also is hoping to be the official vehicle of the Super Bowl, but the contract has not been finalized.
GM has been an exclusive sponsor of the Super Bowl for the past four years, but this year’s venue — Ford Field — will make things a little trickier, Mr. Kuhlman said.
Shares of GM rose 86 cents, or 2.5 percent, to close at $34.68 Friday on the New York Stock Exchange.
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