• by Karl Greenberg , March 27, 2014

Hyundai Motor America, on the move up-market these days with a new Equus sedan and redo of the Genesis sedan, is also expanding its premium marketing real estate. The automaker has signed on as exclusive automotive sponsor of the 13th Annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational, April 3 to 6, at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.  

The automaker gets to be at a match that brings in the club-swinging West Coast glitterati. It’s using the partnership to tout the new 2015 Genesis and Equus. As the official automotive sponsor of the tournament, Hyundai will showcase its all-new 2015 Genesis premium sedan and Equus. The vehicles will be displayed around the course, and players will have a chance to win a Genesis through a hole-in-one opportunity, says the automaker.

Advantage International managed the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational sponsorship deal for Hyundai. The Korean automaker's Fountain Valley, Calif.-based U.S. sales and marketing arm last year extended for two more years title sponsorship of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, a match that used to be called simply "Tournament of Champions."

The PGA Tour event is held at the Plantation Course in Kapalua, Maui, in January. Ads for the Equus earlier this year highlighted that relationship as part of a message about special dealership service that is part of the ownership experience.  

Interestingly, the Seoul Broadcasting System, which has been a sponsor of the tournament for about 20 years brought Hyundai in after it signed a new 10-year deal four years ago. Hyundai became title sponsor in 2011. The broadcaster televises PGA tournaments in Korea.

On a global basis, Hyundai Motor has a major sponsorship position at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil this year, along with sibling Kia. The company, which started its FIFA relationship in 1999 will be Automotive Official Partner until 2022, a partnership that also wraps in the Confederations Cups, Women’s World Cups, U-20 and U-17 World Cups. Hyundai has separate deals with the Union Des Associations Europeennes De Football, International Cricket Council, and Federation Internationale de Ski.