Starting with the 2017 season, Monster Energy will be replacing Sprint as the new title sponsor for NASCAR's premiere series in a multi-year agreement. NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France was part of the announcement earlier this month in Las Vegas during their annual awards banquet. As part of the deal, Monster Energy will also become the title sponsor for the annual All Star Race and be the official energy drink of NASCAR.
Having sponsored BMX, Rallycross, snowmobile racing, and motocross in the past, Monster Energy is no stranger to motorsports. "We view this as a rare opportunity that doesn't come along every day," said Mark Hall, Chief Marketing Officer for Monster Energy. "If you would have asked me five years ago if I've ever contemplated something like this, the answer would be never in a million years, but it's a rare and unique opportunity to be associated with a premier professional sport, to be closely partnered with that sport, and to work together to build both of our brands, and we're going to work very hard to do that."
For NASCAR, the partnership was a no-brainer. "It's one of the few sales calls that I actually personally made, because it is important to align ourselves with a global brand," said France. "They're an edgy brand, they're a fun brand, and they get after a millennial audience in a different way. And motorsports is in their DNA. They understand NASCAR. They understand how to reach across and excite our core audience and help us deliver on a new audience, and that was very exciting for us. "
More than a simple sponsorship, the deal with Monster is definitely a multi-faceted marketing agreement, allowing both brands to benefit from the partnership. Monster officials hope the move will help them gain an edge over rival Red Bull who is also heavily vested in motorsports marketing.
