Malaysian airliner gets Raiders eye patch
AirAsia sports an A340 in Raiders livery.
The Oakland Raiders’ newest sponsorship has an interesting twist: The product carries the team logo but is not available in the United States.
The Raiders have a deal with AirAsia, a low-cost Malaysian airline. As part of its sponsorship, AirAsia replaced the red and white color scheme of one of its planes with the Raiders’ distinctive silver and black. The A340 plane even sports a Raiders eye patch.
So why would AirAsia want a deal with a team in Oakland when it does not even fly there?
“In this particular instance, AirAsia recognizes the Raiders’ brand is global,” said team CEO Amy Trask. “They like the brand association.”
The Raiders for years have been at the forefront of pro sports in reaching beyond the United States to broaden the appeal of the team. In addition to English, for example, the Raiders have web sites in Tagalog, Japanese, German, Chinese and Spanish.
“There are 31 teams in the NFL,” Trask said, “and then there is the Raiders. We’re different and one of the things that makes us different is our global appeal.”
While AirAsia doesn’t fly to the United States now, that could change. There are reports that the company is setting its sights on the United States. The first destination? Oakland, of course.
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