Canon Renews NFL Sponsorship and Photo Contest

Canon USA has extended its sponsorship deal with the National Football League as the league’s official camera through 2010.

Former NFL quarterback Archie Manning returns as Canon spokesperson, and Canon is also bringing back its “Why Do You Love Football?” photo challenge for the third year.

The national amateur photo contest invites photographers to submit their best shots of youth football contests online at usa.canon.com/nfl. This year’s contest includes a youth division for people aged 13 to 18. The grand-prize winner gets a trip for four to Super Bowl XLII in Arizona. Second and third place finishers for the contest, which has an early December deadline, win Canon equipment.

The winning photo will be displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH, with winners also receiving a trip for four to the annual Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony in August 2008.

Fans can also participate in a weekly trivia contest online. The grand-prize winner in that contest gets a chance to take pictures from the sidelines at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.

In a separate contest, wannabe sports photographers can compete in a “Shoot Like a Pro” sweepstakes, with 80 winners selected from 10 teams to shoot during games on their home team’s sidelines. Fans of the New York Giants, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, St. Louis Rams, San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins can register for the sweepstakes on their team’s Web site.

“It’s a natural fit for us to align ourselves with the number one choice among sports fans, the NFL,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager of Canon’s consumer imaging group, in a statement.

The renewal gives Canon rights to use NFL images and trademarks in its ads and promotions, including tickets and stadium hospitality suites

Canon has held the sponsorship as official camera of the NFL since 1984.

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