Mars Inc has signed a four-year sponsorship deal with the Scottish Football Association in a bid to encourage more adults to play football in Scotland.
The move follows a deal with Mars and the English FA last year and will include media partnerships with The Sun in Scotland and its existing relationship with Talksport, the food giant said today (9 March).
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As part of the deal, Mars will become an ‘official partner’ to Scotland until July 2014. The focus of the relationship will be to work with the Scottish FA to encourage footballers over 18 to play “more football more often”, Mars said.
The English FA and Mars signed a five-year partnership in October last year, which saw Mars become one of The FA’s Official Suppliers.
A spokesperson for Mars said the deal in Scotland was different to its tie-up south of the border. “It’s a slight shift on the relationship with The English FA, with the focus being on encouraging more adults to play football, whether they be lapsed players or new people in the game altogether,” the spokesperson said.
“Of course, there will be an element of activity around the national team itself but this is secondary to encouraging people to play football in Scotland.”
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By GlobalDataAmid concern over childhood obesity, health campaigners have questioned tie-ups between food companies and sport, particularly those manufacturers selling products like confectionery.
However, the Scottish FA said Mars, which makes brands including Twix, Snickers and Galaxy, was encouraging people to take exercise.
“The Scottish FA is impressed with Mars’ commitment to encouraging people to be active as part of a healthy lifestyle and to enjoy their products as part of a balanced diet,” a Scottish FA spokesperson told just-food. “Mars, like Scotland, can be seen as an iconic brand and it has a strong tradition within the sporting environment. There are great synergies between the two brands in terms of advertising, audience and objectives, particularly regarding the active lifestyle agenda.”
