For additional information, please contact:
Bill Petrowiak, Vice President of Communications, (612) 337-1945
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CASTROL CONTINUES FLW SPONSORSHIP
MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 15, 2002) — Believing the sport-fishing industry has a
great deal to offer corporations in terms of product publicity, Castrol has
picked up its option for the second year of a full sponsorship contract with
FLW Outdoors. Castrol will remain a full sponsor of FLW Outdoors’ varied
fishing circuits for the 2003 professional angling season as it did in 2002.
Castrol – a marketing and technology leader in the lubrication industry –
will sponsor all of FLW Outdoors’ high-profile tournament trails: Wal-Mart
FLW Tour, EverStart Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas
Tournament Trail and Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit.
Kim Kulick, sponsorship director for Castrol Consumer North America, said:
“The FLW and Castrol partnership has been successful and has delivered
against our sponsorship objectives. We are looking forward to another
successful year.”
Like a growing list of innovative corporations that have joined the FLW
sponsorship family, Castrol sees the potential of professional fishing as a
big business. With 55 million anglers casting lures into bodies of water
around the country for the sake of sport or leisure, the fishing public
presents a sizable and largely untapped market base. Lucrative and
well-organized professional fishing tournaments – like the 170 put on each
year by FLW Outdoors – create a powerful marketing tool for sponsors
searching for a method to reach the angling masses. FLW Outdoors’ premier
fishing tournaments – along with its public outreach campaigns that
highlight conservation, youth/family involvement and strengthening the sport
in the 21st century – are at the forefront of an industry movement to bring
sport fishing into the public spotlight.
Castrol, as one of FLW’s full sponsors, will be featured through a variety
of media formats maintained by FLW Outdoors. Tour sponsors appear on the
“FLW Outdoors” television program broadcast to 45 million subscribers across
the country by the Outdoor Life Network, which anticipates serving 55
million viewers by year’s end. Castrol brand names will also be publicized
through FLW Outdoors magazine advertisements, prominence on the tour Web
sites at FLWOutdoors.com, the “FLW Outdoors Presented by Wal-Mart” show on
Fox Sports Radio, signage at tournaments, angler-awards programs and
inclusion in tour promotional and public relations materials.
Castrol has enhanced its sponsorship program with FLW Outdoors by
establishing a top-notch team of professional fishermen who skim tournament
waters across the country in NASCAR®-style boats bearing the Castrol name
and logo. The 2002 professional angling team consists of Bobby Curtis,
Siloam Springs, Ark.; David Dudley, Manteo, N.C.; Johnny McCombs, Mount
Olive, Ala.; and Darrel Robertson, Jay, Okla. Both Dudley and Robertson are
past winners of the prestigious Ranger M1 Tournament, having been awarded
$700,000 and $600,000 in cash respectively.
Christine Creed, vice president of marketing and sales for FLW Outdoors,
said Castrol’s presence has been a welcome addition to FLW’s exemplary team
of tournament-trail sponsors.
“We at FLW Outdoors are proud that our property has successfully delivered
against Castrol’s sponsorship objectives,” Creed said. “The opportunity to
collaborate with a company with the commitment and vision of Castrol has
been a very exciting and rewarding experience. We look forward to working
with Castrol on the upcoming 2003 tournament season and, together, setting a
new standard for their sponsorship of FLW Outdoors.”
FLW Outdoors is the world’s largest bass-fishing tournament organization. It
administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the world’s most lucrative bass
tournament series; the EverStart Series, the pathway to the Wal-Mart FLW
Tour; and the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, the weekend tournament series
designed for working anglers. FLW Outdoors also runs the Wal-Mart Texas
Tournament Trail, Ranger M1 and the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit.
The success story behind Castrol – one of the world’s most renowned
manufacturers of engine oil and industrial lubricants – has its origins in
19th century England. Castrol, founded in the United Kingdom in 1899, has
operated an accomplished North American division since 1954. The current
American headquarters are located in Wayne, N.J. Castrol is owned by BP PLC.
Full sponsors of FLW Outdoors angling circuits in 2002 are Wal-Mart, ALPO
Pet Foods, BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, Chevy Trucks, Conseco, Eagle
Electronics, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory,
Frito-Lay, Fujifilm, GARMIN, Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Minn Kota, Newell
Rubbermaid, Pepsi, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Shop-Vac, Snickers, Stanley Works,
Stren, U.S. Bank, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards.
For more information about Castrol, visit the Web site at CastrolUSA.com or
call (800) 462-0835. For more information about FLW Outdoors, visit
FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.