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"Mercury, the exclusive engine sponsor for BASS"01/04/2004
Mercury'sCompetitive Angling Department is pleased to announce thateffective June 15, 2004, Mercury will be the exclusive enginesponsor for BASS. Although Mercury has been a sponsor of BASS forthe past five years, up until now the sponsorship had not beenexclusive; Yamaha shared the BASS sponsorship "limelight"with Mercury for the past three years.Triton Boats hasalso announced that it will take over as the exclusive boat sponsorof BASS.Adding to theexcitement of exclusive sponsorship, 100% of the anglersparticipating in the 2004 Bassmaster's Classic will be poweredby Mercury's 250 Verado's. The Bassmaster's Classicshow will air on ESPN2 and ESPN July 25 through August 1, the weekof the Classic Championship. Tune in if you can. It's great towatch "the Mercury Team" in action...For those whomay not know, BASS is owned by ESPN; ESPN is owned by Disney, whoalso owns ABC. Not hard to understand how the exclusive partnershipwith BASS has dramatically increased exposure potential for Mercuryand Mercury brand products through national print and mediacoverage via these various channels. Last year during Classic Week,ABC ran a clip during the 5:30 evening news that featuredinterviews with the anglers, clearly showing the boats and enginesused in the competition.MotorGuidetrolling motors, the longest running sponsor of BASS, has recentlyextended its long term sponsorship agreement as well. We are allproud and pleased to have this opportunity to be aligned with ourgood partners,Triton and ESPN/BASS.Attached is theofficial press release which was distributed recently. March 17,2004
MERCURY MARINE ANDTRITON BOATS NOW OFFICIAL AND EXCLUSIVE BRANDS OF BASS
MONTGOMERY, Ala.- Mercury Marine, Triton Boats and BASS, the worldwide authority onbass fishing, today announced a strategic marketing alliance thatwill make the two manufacturers the official and exclusive marineengine and boat brand of BASS."Triton, Mercuryand BASS share a powerful vision and passion for our sport andnatural resources that make this a dynamic collaboration," saidDean Kessel, Vice President and General Manager of BASS. "Tritonand Mercury distinguish themselves in their respective productcategories with dedication to, and support of, the BASS anglers,Federation, tournament trail, conservation, youth initiatives andother membership services."The newmulti-year alliance, effective June 16, 2004, provides a solid andstable base from which BASS, Mercury and Triton can now fullyactivate their immense resources to the benefit of the fishingindustry and the BASS Federation system.Triton presidentEarl Bentz, a former world champion boat racer and a veteran of thebass boat industry, said, "We're truly proud and honoredto join forces with BASS as the exclusive boat sponsor of the CITGOBassmaster Tournament Trail and the BASS organizationitself."Equally enthusedabout the exclusive sponsorship agreement was Pat Mackey, presidentof Mercury Marine."This is aterrific opportunity for all parties involved," said Mackey. "Weare convinced that BASS and ESPN Outdoors are focused on growingand strengthening tournament fishing - which is vitally importantto our whole industry - and we are very pleased to consolidate oursponsorship with BASS."We're verypleased that BASS has chosen Triton as the exclusive boat sponsor.The combined abilities of all three organizations will elevatetournament fishing's status throughout the nation. This newrelationship will be very beneficial to our professional anglersand will ensure that their visibility is enhanced in the millionsof households served by ESPN."ESPN'senhanced television coverage of tournament fishing has opened thedoor for unprecedented growth for the entire bass fishing market,said Bentz."Since ESPNjoined forces with BASS, bass fishing is finally on a par withother professional sports in terms of prestige, payouts andpopularity," he said. "At Triton, we feel our new alliance withBASS complements our shared vision to positively change and growthe bass fishing industry even further."Triton andMercury have also enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the BASSFederation and look forward to our continued support of theFederation Alliance program, which provides incentives toFederation members who purchase products of BASS sponsors. We planon continuing our Federation support, and encourage other BASSsponsors to join us in this important endeavor."Mackey saidMercury is anxious to power all boats at the annual CITGOBassmaster Classic as part of its sponsorshipendeavors."Mercurymanufactures engines for all levels and types of BASS fishing andcompetition, especially since recently introducing our spectacularnew four-stroke Verado engines," said Mackey. "With Verado joiningour line-up of existing four-strokes, as well as our direct-fuelinjected OptiMax family, Mercury offers a complete line of enginesperfect for professional and amateur bass anglers."Mercury Marineis a division of Brunswick Corporation. Headquartered in LakeForest, Ill., Brunswick Corporation endeavors to instill "GenuineIngenuity" in all its leading consumer brands, including Mercuryand Mariner outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrives andinboard engines; Teignbridge propellers; MotoTron electroniccontrols; Northstar marine electronics; Navman GPS-based products;IDS dealer management systems; Sea Ray, Bayliner, Maxum, Hatteras,Meridian and Sealine pleasure boats; Baja high-performance boats;Boston Whaler and Trophy offshore fishing boats; Princecraft, Lund,Lowe and Crestliner fishing, deck and pontoon boats; Land 'N' Seamarine parts and accessories distributor; Life Fitness, HammerStrength and ParaBody fitness equipment; Brunswick bowling centers,equipment and consumer products; Brunswick billiards tables; andValley-Dynamo pool, table hockey and foosball tables. For moreinformation, visit www.brunswick.com.Triton is aleading manufacturer of fiberglass and aluminum fishing boats withmanufacturing complexes located in Ashland City, Tennessee andAberdeen, Mississippi. Its professional fiberglass tournament boatsincluding the new X Series models are favored by top BASScompetitors including Gary Klein, Davy Hite and Roland Martin. Thecompany also manufacturers a complete line of fiberglass saltwaterboats, and has one of the most extensive marine dealer networks inNorth America. For additional information on Triton Boats, log ontowww.tritonboats.com, or call at 1-888-8TRITON.BASS is theworldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000tournaments worldwide through its Federation. This April, BASSintroduces the all-new Bassmaster Elite 50 Series, a four-event,no-entry-fee circuit featuring a $1.6 million prize purse for theworld's best anglers. The CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trailpresented by Busch Beer is the oldest and most prestigious probass-fishing tournament circuit and continues to set the standardfor credibility, professionalism and sportsmanship as it has since1968For moreinformation, contact BASS Communications at (334) 551-2375 or visitwww.bassmaster.com.
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