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Volkswagen partners with DLF Indian Premier League; launches Vento IPL edition
The special edition of the sedan will go on sale in April, coinciding with the beginning of the tournament; a 360-degree campaign will also start with the IPL.
With almost a month to go for the local cricket extravaganza, the DLF Indian Premier League, Volkswagen announced its association with the tournament.
The German carmaker launched a special edition of the Vento that will go on sale with the commencement of the tournament, from the first week of April. Volkswagen has been signed as one of the official partners of the IPL for a period of two years.
Lutz Kothe, head, marketing and PR, Volkswagen Group Sales, says, "Globally, Volkswagen introduces special editions which have been very successful. The IPL edition is our first step towards a similar initiative. We will adopt a complete synergetic marketing approach during the IPL to reach out to customers across our carline."
The Vento IPL edition boasts of added features and specially branded accessories with the IPL logo on the car, and will be available in the 1.6 litre petrol version. Priced at Rs 7,24,000 (ex-showroom, New Delhi), the car will be available across the company's 71 dealerships.
On the upcoming campaign, Kothe says that besides traditional media campaigns, there will be dealer integration and point-of-sale activities, apart from on-ground activities such as car displays at all stadiums during the matches, branding on the perimeter boards at all matches, mid-wicket mats, boundary rope, backdrop presence, and team dugouts, among other promotional activities.
The campaign will start along with the tournament.
While the car has been introduced to coincide with the IPL season this year, depending on the demand, the sales may be extended beyond the duration of the tournament, Kothe tells afaqs!.
"The Vento has been very well received in the market. Since its launch, we have sold about 14,400 units, as of February 2011," he adds.
A big spender on innovative communication, Volkswagen has in the past, associated with various sports and events worldwide. One of the major associations recently was the Beijing Olympics 2008. The company has also associated with football clubs around the world such as Moroka Swallows, Schalke 04, and Werder Bremen.