Sponsors gain strength at Williams

The saying that success attracts success is becoming a reality at Williams: after a 2012 season of revival, several of its sponsors have decided to strengthen their ties with Grove.

The first among them to decide to extend their association with Williams is a historical partner of the team, namely Randstad. The employment agency will thus be present for the eighth consecutive season on the sides of the Williams cars. After significantly increasing its presence following a disappointing 2011 season, it has decided to maintain the same level of commitment for the 2013 edition.

The watch brand Oris, another historical partner of the team, has also decided to continue its commitment to Williams, as it has always done since 2001. Ulrich Herzog, the brand’s executive chairman, explains the reasons driving him to extend such a long-standing relationship: « The prestigious world of Formula One continues to be the perfect platform to promote Oris, and renewing this partnership strengthens our support and commitment to the Williams F1 Team. At Oris, we identify with the competitive environment of motor racing and the commitment to quality and success. »

Another aspect of the announcements concerned the two Finnish companies that arrived alongside Valtteri Bottas. Now that he holds a firm position, they will have even greater visibility on the FW35. The Wihuri Group will therefore take a significant position on the rear wing of the latter. To maximize the return on investment from this presence, the company, which specializes in the wholesale distribution of everyday products, aviation, and investment products, will differentiate the brand represented depending on the location of the race: for all European races, the Wipak logo will be displayed, for those held in North America, it will be Winpak, while Wihuri will be represented for the rest of the season.

Frank Williams emphasizes that this new agreement is mainly due to the nationality of his driver: « It is a very good thing that Wihuri has decided to increase its investment in the team, and this new agreement proves the success of our partnership so far. 2013 is going to be very interesting for both Williams and Vihuri, and we will see Valtteri begin his career as a full-fledged Formula One driver. »

The second Finnish company to have joined Williams last year was Kemppi. This agreement is slightly different from the one with Wihuri because, in addition to sponsorship and the presence of its logo on the side of the front wing and on the drivers’ suits, the agreement with Williams also includes the supply of products developed by the family-owned company, specializing in welding equipment. The partnership is therefore a way to showcase the performance of its products, as explained by its CEO, Anssi Rantasalo: “We have supported Valtteri for several years now, and it will be great to see him have the opportunity to demonstrate on the world stage what he is capable of. It has also been a great honor for Kemppi to partner with one of the most prestigious teams in the history of Formula One. Through this partnership, we therefore hope for even more success for the Williams F1 Team this year. Our agreement also includes a technological partnership, and we are demonstrating that our welding equipment can meet the demanding requirements of Formula One.”

But Williams has also managed to convince a new partner to join for several seasons, Experian. This time, it is purely a sponsorship agreement since no joint commercial activity is planned. Nevertheless, this does not prevent a strong debut as its logo will appear on the cars, helmets, and racing suits of both team drivers, Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas. Ken Chaplin, the brand’s marketing manager, commented: “Formula One offers a global marketing platform for Experian and, with our 17,000 employees worldwide, we look forward to the start of the season.”

With the participation of www.Racingbusiness.fr