Toyota (No. 34 on the Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Companies list) and Burton Snowboards have entered into a multi-year strategic partnership, beginning with this week’s Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships in Vail, Colo. (Feb. 27- March 4). The partnership brings together Toyota, which has been part of the cultural fabric of the U.S. for nearly 60 years, and the world’s leading snowboard and alternative outdoor lifestyle brand Burton, founded in Vermont by Jake Burton in 1977.
Kicking off at the 35thannual Burton U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships, snowboarding’s longest-running premier event, the strategic partnership will leverage multiple marketing platforms, including digital, social, events and retail. With the new deal in place, Toyota will also become the official automotive company of Burton.
Toyota, which recently became a sponsor of the U.S. Freeski and Snowboard teams and title sponsor of the U.S. Grand Prix, will have a large presence at the U.S. Open Snowboarding Championships, including an immersive interactive fan experience, including athlete meet and greets, custom chain-stitched neck gators and a special gift for Toyota owners. Toyota will also provide free shuttle service in and around Vail.
In addition, Toyota and Burton both also sponsor 16-year-old snowboarding superstar Chloe Kim, the 2016 Burton U.S. Open halfpipe champion and three-time X-Games gold medalist.
“With less than a year to go before our first Olympic and Paralympic Games as a TOP partner in PyeongChang, Toyota is actively increasing our support for winter sports,” said Jack Hollis, Toyota group vice president, Marketing. “We look forward to partnering with Burton to continue elevating the profile of snowboarding in the United States, and to support the fantastic athletes who inspire us all.”
“The U.S. Open is the perfect place to kick off our partnership with Toyota because it really brings our shared brand values to life,” said Anne-Marie Dacyshyn, Burton’s chief marketing officer. “Both Toyota and Burton share a love of adventure, the outdoors and going places, and the U.S. Open represents these qualities better than any other event out there. We can’t wait to bring the power of our two brands together to amplify our sport, our lifestyle and our riders year round.”
