From Tyres & Accessories/Tire Review

Title sponsorship for a major Russian football event will feature a familiar name this year. On July 15, Bridgestone Corp. announced that the Bridgestone brand will serve as title sponsor of the Russian Football Union's Russian Cup during the 2011-12 season.

The nationwide football tournament, officially titled the “Bridgestone-Russian Cup,” will continue until May 2012. Premier league teams, who compete in the event alongside first division, second division and amateur clubs, begin their participation with the 1/16 finals that begin on July 17. The tournament’s winner will represent Russia in the UEFA Europa League.

Throughout the tournament, Bridgestone's corporate logo and the event logo of Bridgestone-Russian Cup will be prominently featured in stadiums on pitch-side advertising boards, team uniform patches, team benches and the center circle banner. The tiremaker’s title sponsorship also will be announced during event broadcast and Bridgestone commercials will be screened. In addition, Bridgestone's corporate logo will be featured on the official Russian Football Union website. Further marketing activities are also planned to leverage the sponsorship, Bridgestone adds.

This is the first time Bridgestone has sponsored a national football event in Russia. The company states the sponsorship will provide it with an effective platform to showcase its high-performance tire products while enhancing its profile in Russia.