Agency to Provide Advisory Services in the
Areas of Marketing, Sponsorship, Finance,
Entertainment, Sports, and Business Development
The leading new team in the 2010 FIA Formula One™
World Championship, the Lotus Racing Formula One™
(F1™) team, has signed a global representation
agreement with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), an
entertainment and sports agency.
Lotus Racing is laying the foundation for
long-term success in the global phenomenon that
is F1™, taking the challenge to established
teams currently ahead of the Anglo-Malaysian
squad.
CAA Marketing, a division of CAA, will develop
and implement new marketing strategies for Lotus
Racing; promote the F1™ team in America and
around the world; and create innovative
programmes for team partners to build upon the
extensive reach of the sport to market their
brands globally. Lotus Racing will also benefit
from the expertise and experience of CAA
affiliate Evolution Media Capital (EMC), an
investment banking firm for the sports and media
industries. EMC will advise on the acquisition
and structuring of new businesses that would
benefit from an affiliation with Lotus Racing
and F1™, the world’s most popular annual sports
competition.
Tony Fernandes, Lotus Racing Team Principal gave
his thoughts on this exciting new development
for the team: “Firstly, I want to welcome CAA to
the Lotus Racing family. It’s a real honour that
the CAA team has seen what a fantastic
opportunity we have to do some extraordinary
work together, and I know that exciting times
lie ahead for us, on and off track. I come from
an entertainment background, so I know that the
depth of experience, knowledge, creative talent
and passion that CAA will bring to our team will
help us in our bid to broaden the appeal of our
sport, for fans, and for brands. This deal is
certain to make a few people sit up and take
notice, as it shows we are not looking at the
traditional sports marketing model – we want to
break new ground, and with CAA, we will.”
Recognized for its innovative approach to
brand-building, Lotus Racing’s highly-active use
of social media, which is unprecedented in F1™,
gives fans, team partners, and media an
exclusive inside look at the team, its factory,
and drivers.
“Lotus Racing is employing cutting-edge
marketing strategies that leverage the massive
audience and reach of F1™ to garner awareness
for the team and its sponsors,” said Jae Goodman,
Co-Head and Chief Creative Officer, CAA
Marketing. “We will work closely with Tony and
Deputy Team Principal SM Nasarudin to continue
in that spirit of innovation by developing
opportunities that go beyond stickers and
hospitality to create critical exposure and new
value for brand partners.”
“It is our goal to build upon the
entrepreneurial spirit that Tony has brought to
companies like AirAsia and Tune Group to create
new businesses that capitalize on the Lotus
Racing brand and the global platform of F1™
racing,” said Rick Hess of EMC.
About Evolution Media Capital
Led by the former team at Merrill Lynch’s Media
and Sports Structured Finance Group, Evolution
Media Capital, LLC (EMC) is an investment
banking firm for the media and sports
industries. Formed in June 2008 as a partnership
with Creative Artists Agency, EMC offers
investment advisory, asset management, industry
research, and capital-raising services.??
About Creative Artists Agency
Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is a full-service
talent agency, representing many of the most
successful professionals working in film,
television, music, sports, video games, theatre,
and the Internet, and provides a range of
strategic marketing and consulting services to
corporate clients. CAA is also a leader in
sports, representing more than 650 of the
world’s top athletes, coaches, and broadcasters
in football, baseball, basketball, hockey,
soccer, tennis, and golf, and works in the areas
of broadcast rights, corporate marketing
initiatives, licensing, and sports properties
for sales/sponsorship opportunities. In addition,
The Intelligence Group, a market research and
trend forecasting company, is a division of CAA.
About Lotus Racing
Team Principal Tony Fernandes and fellow
shareholders Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin
led a consortium of Malaysian business interests
in 2009 who joined forces to provide initial
funding for the nascent Lotus Racing team under
the new parent company banner, 1Malaysia Racing.
Lotus Racing was granted entry into the 2010 FIA
Formula One™ World Championship on September 12,
2009, and under the leadership of Chief
Executive Officer Riad Asmat and Chief Technical
Officer Mike Gascoyne, is currently placed 10th
in the World Championship. The team is
headquartered in Hingham, Norfolk. |