The Bar Towel

Steelback Brewery is gearing up to enter the high-speed, high-profile world of Grand Prix racing with today's announcement of an official sponsorship agreement with Jordan Grand Prix Limited for the remainder of the 2005 Formula One World Championship Season.

Steelback, which currently produces nine specialty beers from its Tiverton, Ontario brewery, will supply the team's race guests with premium, all-natural pilsners and lagers, crafted in the finest Canadian tradition. Steelback also becomes the first Canadian company to have its logo which incorporates a maple leaf graphic appear on a Jordan F1 car.

“I am very pleased to have Steelback aboard as a team partner,” says Alex Shnaider, Chairman of Midland Group, which acquired Jordan earlier in the year. “It's great to see a Canadian company step up and support our team, especially an exciting new premium brand like Steelback. Obviously, Mr. D'Angelo recognises the powerful marketing advantages of Formula One and we are confident this partnership will be a successful one for both parties.”

“I think this is an excellent fit for both teams,” says Frank D'Angelo, CEO of Steelback Brewery. “Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsport and since our beer is a premium product, we wanted to associate ourselves with a sport that's at the top of its class. And, since we're a Canadian company, it's only natural that we should join forces with a dynamic, Canadian-owned racing team like Jordan Grand Prix.”



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From another source:

Alex Shnaider has called on Canada to support his Formula One team. The Russian-born, but Toronto based, businessman signed a small deal with a Canadian sponsor at the German grand prix -- 'Steelback' beer will reside on the Jordan's front wing for the rest of the year.

36-year-old Shnaider, though - to rename the team after his 'Midland' company in 2006 - 'would love' more home support.

The naturalised Canadian told the 'Globe and Mail' newspaper: "We are in discussions with a number of large Canadian companies that are interested in the opportunities (F1) can deliver."

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=93776

YAY!

Frank D'Angelo is a moron. First he runs a brewery renouned for making terrible beer that, at best, could be called "working class". Now he's aiming his marketing efforts at a sports sector that is anything but working class. If he wanted to reach a larger audience of people who might actually drink his swill why didn't he spend his marketing dollars sponsoring monster trucks or NASCAR or the Roadrunners or the Rock (assuming they aren't already tied to breweries)?

But then again, let's not forget that this is the guy who decided it'd be a good idea to have T.V. ads featuring himself singing the national anthem at an Argos game...egotism, stupidity or just plain bad business sense?..or perhaps all three.

if anyone has sales numbers for Steelback I would love to see them. It continues to amaze me that the company is still in business let alone making enough money to sponsor things like this....

Formula One is the world's most expensive sport. It costs millions of $US just to have a small logo on the side of a car. To be a main sponsor costs tens of millions per year. Philip Morris is rumoured to pay about $80 million per year to be the title sponsor of Ferrari, the most prestigious team. Even backmarkers like the Jordan (Midland) teams normally charge well over $10 million to be a title sponsor. It is rare for a company that doesn't have a worldwide presence to be involved in F1 sponsorship. I'd imagine it's a pretty small deal.

Also in the news the employees of Steelback Brewery have turned down unionisation:

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/arch ... c4582.html

beanmedic wrote: Steelback also becomes the first Canadian company to have its logo which incorporates a maple leaf graphic appear on a Jordan F1 car.

The most comical marketing line in a good, long while.

I'm convinced Steelback is some sort of elaborate money laundering operation.

Josh Oakes wrote:

beanmedic wrote: Steelback also becomes the first Canadian company to have its logo which incorporates a maple leaf graphic appear on a Jordan F1 car.

The most comical marketing line in a good, long while.

Nortel Networks was a sponsor back in 2000, no?

clasher wrote:I'm convinced Steelback is some sort of elaborate money laundering operation.

Yup, me too but it has to be a real beauty to justify the bizarre presentation we have seen to present.

CapFlu wrote:

Josh Oakes wrote:

beanmedic wrote: Steelback also becomes the first Canadian company to have its logo which incorporates a maple leaf graphic appear on a Jordan F1 car.

The most comical marketing line in a good, long while.

Nortel Networks was a sponsor back in 2000, no?

Yeah, but it only counts if they have a maple leaf in their logo.

It's also the first brewery out of Tiverton to sponsor an F1 team. Way to go!

Rob Creighton wrote:

clasher wrote:I'm convinced Steelback is some sort of elaborate money laundering operation.

Yup, me too but it has to be a real beauty to justify the bizarre presentation we have seen to present.

It's a horrible stereotype but I was wondering that too, I admit. How the hell can they afford billboards for SB Tango, the "Worst Beer In The World?"

I guess this really isn't a joke.

I guess this really isn't a joke.

No, it's still a joke. It's just a joke that'll be racing around an F1 circuit.