USA: General Mills in baseball sponsorship deal

US food manufacturer General Mills has entered into a sponsorship deal with Major League Baseball Properties under which Wheaties cereal will become “Official Breakfast Cereal” of Major League Baseball.

As part of the agreement, which includes exclusive category rights, Wheaties will create a minimum of three national cereal boxes featuring Major League Baseball marks and logos during each year of the agreement, General Mills said. The boxes may feature current or former players. Wheaties also will launch a Major League Baseball-themed national advertising campaign during the 2005 season, the cereal brand’s first new television advertising campaign in four years.

“We are thrilled to welcome the ‘Breakfast of Champions’ to Major League Baseball as a national corporate sponsor,” said Tim Brosnan, executive vice president, business, Major League Baseball. “Major League Baseball and Wheaties are two premier and illustrious brands, and this partnership will engage baseball fans and Wheaties consumers throughout the nation.”

“Major League Baseball helped make Wheaties a great American sports icon,” said Eric Lucas, vice president of Marketing for General Mills’ Big G Cereals. “More than 70 years ago, we teamed up to feature Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx on packages of Wheaties. Now, once again, we’re excited about the winning moments that our Wheaties-MLB partnership will bring.”