Cleveland-based National City Bank will replace Rock Financial as the presenting sponsor for the Detroit Pistons this season, the team announced Wednesday.
National City is only the second presenting sponsor in the Pistons' history. This kind of extensive marketing arrangement is used by only a few teams in the National Basketball Association.
"We want to expand our brand," said David Boyle, president for National City in Michigan and northwest Ohio. The bank, the fifth-largest in the state in terms of deposits, has been a major sponsor of the team over the past several seasons. It did not want to disclose the terms of the agreement, which will run at least three to five years with options to extend.
Under the deal, National City will be featured in all Pistons ads on television, print, radio and at the Palace of Auburn Hills; on Pistons tickets, pocket schedules, staff uniforms and the team's Web site, and on point-of-sale signage at all Locker Room stores.
The sponsorship will also benefit National City's customers. Discounted Pistons tickets are to be available through the bank's 125 metro Detroit branches. Customers also will be able to get 20% off merchandise at Pistons Locker Room stores.
Contact KATHERINE YUNG at 313-222-8763 or kyung@freepress.com.
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