Yamaha Drives Vehicles into Rodeos

Yamaha Motor Corporation USA is revving up its All-Terrain Vehicles and Side-by-Side Vehicles by showcasing them at The Professional Bull Riders, Inc.'s events nationwide.

Under a new sponsorship deal announced last month, Yamaha will lasso in extensive in-arena exposure at PBR's Built Ford Tough Series, a 29-city tour where it will display its ATV and Side-by-Side brands. Yamaha is the Official All-Terrain Vehicle and Side-by-Side Vehicle of the PBR.

During the events, Yamaha will display its vehicles—designed for the rugged outdoors—on coliseum concourses and on arena surfaces during event breaks. In addition, the PBR will promote Yamaha products on its Web site and via TV spots.

"PBR riders are some of the toughest people on the planet and we thought it would be a natural fit for our ATVs and SxS [Side-by-Sides] vehicles to be in partnership with PBR events," said Steve Nessl, spokesperson for Yamaha's ATV and SxS brands. "The fan of the PBR is really an outdoorsman in general. From a marketing standpoint it's really good to be in front of these spectators who either are about to own, or have owned one of our vehicles over the years."

The PBR rounds up several tours during the year including the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. Challenger Tour, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour and the Discovery Tour.

The partnership is not Yamaha's first entrance into the sports arena. The relationship, however, marks the company's first sponsorship with the PBR, "probably the highest level non-endemic partnership we've done," Nessl said.

Yamaha, which is based in Cypress, CA, will handle sponsorship elements in-house. Marshall Advertising and Design, Costa Mesa, CA, handles the advertising components.

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