MORRISTOWN, NJ – Alka-Seltzer Plus® cold medicine will help keep athletes on the slopes this winter season as part of a two-year deal to be the official cold medicine of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), the parent organization of the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding, Bayer HealthCare, the makers of Alka-Seltzer Plus (BHC) announced.
“We are thrilled to partner with the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding,” said Jay Kolpon, Vice President Marketing and New Business Development, Bayer HealthCare. “These athletes perform under extremely challenging conditions where speed and reliability are a must. Alka-Seltzer Plus understands that people suffer from cold and flu symptoms that can hold them back from being their best. Our products are designed to help people, even world-class athletes, win against the winter cold.”
Alka-Seltzer Plus plans to activate an integrated marketing program over the next two years through its advertising agency BBDO and its sports marketing agency Paragon Marketing Group. The program, entitled “Win Against the Winter Cold”, will include national promotions and U.S. Ski Team branded commercials. This cold season, the promotion will feature alpine skiing overall World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) and nordic combined World Championships silver medalist Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY). Both Olympic athletes also have individual endorsements with Alka-Seltzer Plus.
“Having Alka-Seltzer Plus on our team is a natural fit,” said Ted Morris, USSA Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Our athletes and coaches have to be at the top of their game and a cold shouldn’t slow them down. We’re excited about our partnership with Alka-Seltzer Plus and how we can all win together this winter and on the road to Vancouver.”
As part of the partnership, the Alka-Seltzer Plus logo will be on U.S. Ski Team uniforms seen around the world. The brand plans to interact with winter sports fans through sampling booths at more than 15 domestic U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding competitions. Alka-Seltzer Plus® is also an associate sponsor of four elite events: Alpine races in Colorado, Aspen Winternational Women’s World Cup (Thanksgiving weekend) at which Vonn was fourth in a giant slalom and slalom, Visa Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort in Utah (Jan. 29-31) and the Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships (March 26-31) as well as the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships (Mar. 26-29). All events will be televised on NBC, Versus and Universal Sports.
