Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 16
Trend:
Baku 2015 European Games has signed an agreement with The Coca-Cola Company to serve as an Official Partner of this summer's inaugural event.
The deal will see the Baku 2015 brand exclusively displayed on the Company's Coca-Cola and Bonaqua Water labels throughout Azerbaijan.
Coca-Cola will also release limited edition product packaging dedicated exclusively to Baku 2015 and launch an integrated marketing campaign to help raise awareness of the Games.
"I am very pleased to confirm Coca-Cola as an Official Partner of the inaugural European Games," Mr Azad Rahimov, Azerbaijan's Minister of Youth and Sports and Chief Executive Officer of Baku 2015, said.
"They are a brand with international recognition and a long association with major multi-sport events which make them a perfect partner for Baku 2015."
Coca-Cola is the world's leading manufacturer, marketer and distributor of non-alcoholic beverages, producing more than 500 brands of products in more than 200 countries and serving over 1.9 billion drinks every day.
"We are very proud to be supporting the inaugural European Games, which will soon become one of the international calendar's leading multi-sport events," Ms Galya Frayman Molinas, President of Coca-Cola Turkey, Caucasus and Central Asia Business Unit, said.
"This is an exciting opportunity to support a new and innovative event that will unite Europe in a celebration of sport and active lifestyle and we are looking forward to developing our relationship with Baku 2015."
Coca-Cola has a long history of supporting the Olympic movement, having first sponsored the Olympic Games in Amsterdam in 1928, and every Games since.
"Coca-Cola's association with major sporting events makes this agreement an excellent opportunity to spread the word about Baku 2015," Mr Simon Clegg, Chief Operating Officer of Baku 2015, said.
"With the help of all our Official Partners and Supporters we will deliver an exceptional event that will engage and excite the entire continent in an historic celebration of sport this summer."
Coca-Cola is the seventh Official Partner of the Baku 2015 European Games, joining Azerbaijan Airlines, BP, Nar Mobile, P&G, SOCAR and Tissot.
The Company has local operations in more than 200 countries around the world and opened its bottling plant in Azerbaijan in 1994. It provides employment directly and indirectly to more than 2,200 people across the country.
Baku 2015 is the first ever European Games, an exciting and innovative multi-sport event for the continent which will take place from 12 - 28 June 2015.
There will be a total of 20 sports at Baku 2015: 16 Olympic sports and four non-Olympic sports. More than 6,000 athletes from across Europe will be representing their nations over 17 days of competition.
Eleven of the sports will offer qualification opportunities for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Those sports include Archery, Athletics, Boxing, Cycling, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Triathlon, Volleyball and Wrestling.
Baku was awarded the Games by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) in December 2012. The Baku European Games Operations Committee (BEGOC) will organise and run the Games in cooperation with the EOC.