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Drinks giant Bacardi-Martini has returned to motorsport sponsorship

after a ten-year absence in a multi-million-pound deal to sponsor the

Ford World Rally team this year.

Bacardi-Martini decided to resume links with motor racing to reposition

the Martini brand in the eyes of male consumers who, it says, often see

it as a drink for women.

Guy Wrench, a director at sports sponsorship agency BWP which arranges

Ford’s sponsorship deals, said: ’They wanted to move into a butch, macho

sport.’

Bacardi-Martini was last involved in motor sport through its sponsorship

of the Lotus Formula 1 team in the 1980s. Since then, its sports

sponsorship strategy has been low key but the new deal will see it push

the Martini brand through the Ford Focus car driven by former world

champion Colin McRae.

Bacardi-Martini’s sponsorship will commence at this week’s Monte Carlo

rally. It has an option to extend its deal for a further year. Ford is

still looking for secondary sponsors.

Ford’s team did not have a main sponsor last year. Its last main sponsor

was Spanish oil giant Repsol, which ditched it three years ago.

Rallying is becoming increasingly popular across Europe. The UK leg of

the tour, the Network Q Rally, attracted a record two million spectators

last year. Since losing its rights to show Formula 1, the BBC is

committed to showing other motorsports, including rallying.