GEICO Secures Title Rights to 2014 Bassmaster Classic
OutdoorHub 12.16.13
GEICO has become the title sponsor of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic, the world championship of bass fishing.
The GEICO Bassmaster Classic will be held Feb. 21-23 in Alabama with competition on Lake Guntersville. The daily weigh-ins and other activities will be in Birmingham, home base of B.A.S.S. LLC, owner of the Classic.
“It’s a pleasure for us to play a larger role in the Bassmaster Classic,” said Ted Ward, vice president of GEICO marketing. “Bass fishing, and the Classic in particular, is a wonderful way to enjoy what’s become an enormously popular sport. Entire industries have developed around bass fishing and we’re delighted to be part of it.”
“This is our premier annual event, eagerly anticipated by hundreds of thousands of fans,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “As title sponsor, GEICO will enjoy the market inroads available only with the wide and deep reach the Classic achieves, not only over the three competition days, but in the weeks leading up to the event and in the months afterward.”
Based in Chevy Chase, Md., GEICO is the third-largest private-passenger auto insurer in the United States. GEICO — Government Employees Insurance Co. — was founded in 1936 for members of the military and federal employees searching for affordable coverage for their vehicles. Today GEICO serves all drivers with a wide array of insurance services.
As the title sponsor of the Classic, GEICO will receive prime positioning in Classic-related marketing efforts and activities.
Tens of thousands of fans are expected to attend the free admission GEICO Bassmaster Classic at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) in downtown Birmingham.
GEICO will receive branding of the Livewell seating area in the arena, and the lucky fans selected for that front-of-stage view will be given “GEICO For Your Boat” T-shirts. Marshals, the official observers who ride with competitors in their boats, will wear GEICO-branded shirts.
The GEICO Everyday Leader Award, a bonus of $1,000 to the leader on the first and second days of competition, adds another element to the event marketing package.
The company will have an exhibit at the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo, the popular consumer show produced by B.A.S.S., at the BJCC. At Lake Guntersville, the GEICO “Moneyman” from the company’s popular television commercials will lead the daily takeoffs.
GEICO also will be featured in Classic-related advertising, promotion and editorial coverage in Bassmaster Magazine, received by the more than 500,000 B.A.S.S. members, and on Bassmaster.com. The digital exposure alone is expected to meet or exceed that of the 2013 “Classic week,” which had 25 million page views. The three competition days of the 2013 Classic garnered 17.5 million page views.
On The Bassmasters TV shows centered on the Classic, GEICO will have ownership of an in-show feature. The Classic-themed shows will air March 1-2 and March 9, March 15 and March 23 on ESPN2 — a total of 12 hours of programming. Reairs are scheduled for The Outdoor Channel.
