Bears seal fresh sponsorship deal

14 September 2010 | Posted in Sponsorship, Football, North America | By Tom Love

National Football League (NFL) team the Chicago Bears have secured a sponsorship with odour-eliminating company OMI Industries.

The Illinois-based company announced that it has signed on as a sponsor for the Bears' 2010-2011 NFL season, which kicked off on September 9th. As part of the agreement, OMI will supply their Fresh Wave product, a odour eliminating solution, in all luxury skybox suites and bathrooms at Soldier Field. In addition, all Chicago Bears players and trainers have been given the odour-eliminating product during training camp.

The Chicago-based company will also have Fresh Wave products in guest suites and events hosted by the Bears, including NFL 101 at Soldier Field and the Bears' locker rooms and suites. The sponsorship also includes giveaways on Twitter and the Fresh Wave Facebook fan page.

OMI president and managing director, Philip M. Coffey, said in regards to the agreement: "This is the beginning of our launch into the sports market. This is a key market we wanted to tackle." Coffey elaborated on the product: "It attracts and absorbs odour molecules." he explained.

Coffey continued: "Football is one of the great American pastimes. As a company that is based in the Chicagoland area and manufactures all of its products in the United States, we couldn't be more excited to sponsor the celebrated Chicago Bears. From mini-leagues to professional football, no matter what the age of the player, we know how difficult it is to remove sweaty smells from uniforms and football equipment. Partnering with this remarkable team at a stadium steeped in history provides the perfect platform for the Fresh Wave brand to demonstrate to families how effectively, efficiently and safely our solutions tackle tough odours."

"In a poor market, we're a high-end product that's doing well," Coffey explained, "last year was our best year ever. We saw 65 per cent growth last year."

The deal with OMI follows two other sponsorship deals signed by the Bears in the last two weeks, the appointment of gas and electric supplier Nordic Energy Services as official energy sponsor and an extension of their partnership with multinational corporation Toyota.

The Chicago Bearskicked off their football season on Sunday September 12th, beating the Detroit Lions 19-14.