Amsterdam, 16 February 2011 - Heineken® today launched its fifth consecutive UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour, giving football fans in Asia the memorable opportunity to experience the unique UEFA Champions League Trophy first hand. The Trophy Tour, launched by double UEFA Champions League winner Marcel Desailly at UEFA Headquarters in Switzerland, marks the start of an exciting line up of Heineken events for fans ahead of the UEFA Champions League Final in May.
Heineken will give its Asian consumers a second chance to see the famous UEFA Champions League Trophy this year by taking it back to Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong four years after its first tour of the continent in 2007, when more than 50,000 fans turned up to see the prestigious trophy up close. Fans in South Korea will also get their first glimpse of the prize on this year's Tour.
The Trophy Tour was launched with an official handover of the cup by UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Ambassador, and former England international, Graeme Le Saux to Heineken Ambassador Marcel Desailly. From Switzerland, the trophy will travel to Kuala Lumpur in February, then pass through the cities of Penang, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Kon Kaen and Seoul in March, before ending in Hong Kong in mid-April.
During the tour, UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Ambassadors including internationally renowned legends such as Christian Karembeu, Steve McManaman, Gianfranco Zola, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Jay-Jay Okocha will be present at events and meet with the media and fans.
Accompanying the Trophy as it tours Asia will be three lucky Heineken consumers, who have won the opportunity to travel with the cup through a global digital competition. To win their exclusive place on the tour, they used an innovative mobile phone application to find a number of virtual trophies scattered in a number of physical global locations.
Football fans in each country will have the opportunity to take photos with the famous trophy, see UEFA Champions League historical memorabilia and win tickets to the UEFA Champions League Final 2011 in London.
Hans Erik Tuijt, Heineken's Brand Activation Manager commented: "This is the sixth consecutive year that Heineken, the world's most international beer brand, has sponsored the prestigious UEFA Champions League. For Heineken to be able to bring the excitement and inspiration of the UEFA Champions League Trophy directly to the fingertips of fans in Asia is extremely rewarding. Heineken provides football fans with extraordinary experiences, which will continue to entertain and amaze as we get closer to the UEFA Champions League Final in London."Commenting on the rationale behind the Trophy Tour, David Taylor, UEFA Events S.A. CEO, said: "The UEFA Champions League has a long and distinguished heritage and is the pinnacle of European club football. The UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken really demonstrates the true global reach and appeal of the UEFA Champions League. We are delighted that together with Heineken we can reward the passion and dedication of football fans in Asia by taking the trophy to them once again."
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The Trophy Tour
The schedule of the 2011 UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken is:
February 22 - 27: Kuala Lumpur
March 5 - 6: Penang
March 11 - 12:Kuala Lumpur
March 16 - 17: Bangkok
March 19 - 20: Chiang Mai
March 25 - 27: Kon Kaen
April 6 - 9: Seoul
April 15 - 17: Hong Kong
The Trophy Tour presented by Heineken visited North America in 2010, Africa in 2009, South America in 2008 and Asia in 2007.
Heineken- UEFA Champions league sponsorship
The core focus of Heineken's activation of the sponsorship is to bring fans in Europe and abroad high quality UEFA Champions League experiences. The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious club platform for international football stars and their clubs. With over 150 million TV viewers watching live coverage of the UEFA Champions League in 220 countries and territories every match week, this premier-sporting event has become global and fits perfectly with the Heineken brand, which is enjoyed in almost every country in the world.
Enjoy Heineken Responsibly
Heineken continues to integrate its responsible consumption program into all UEFA Champions League sponsorship activities. Every stadium hosting a UEFA Champions League match features "Enjoy Responsibly" on one of its three perimeter boards around the pitch, complementing the regular Heineken boarding. In addition, an Enjoy Heineken Responsibly 5-second match bumper broadcasts several times during UEFA Champions League matches with an estimated audience of 150 million viewers per match week.
Photo caption:
(L-R)Graeme Le Saux, UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour Ambassador, David Taylor, UEFA Events S.A. CEO, Hans Erik Tuijt, Heineken Brand Activation Manager, and Marcel Desailly, Heineken Ambassador and Double Champions League Winner attend the official launch of the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour presented by Heineken at the UEFA HQ on February 16, 2011 in Nyon, Switzerland. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images for Heineken)
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