Manchester United ties with Unilever

In its latest brand tie up for Asia, Manchester United is partnering FMCG giant Unilever.Unilever has signed on to become Manchester United’s official personal care and laundry partner in Southeast Asia for nine countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.As part of the deal, a number of Unilever’s most popular personal care and laundry products (such as Clear, Omo and Rexona  among others will now carry the Manchester United crest.Peter ter Kulve, president of Unilever, Southeast Asia and Australasia said the Manchester United partnership was a historic one for the company.“Manchester United is one of the world’s most iconic football clubs, with a passionate following in Southeast Asia. This is the first time Unilever has undertaken a partnership of this scale in the region, spanning nine rapidly developing markets.”Through this partnership we will bring Manchester United Soccer Schools to the community in order to encourage not only children, but also their parents, that ‘dirt is good’ and outdoor play is vital to health, well-being and future development.Indonesia is one of the largest markets in the region for the brand as it represents a large number of consumers who buy Unilever products, added ter Kulve. Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam are also key focus markets, he added.Unilever, however, declined to reveal the sponsorship amount.Earlier in July, Manchester United also tied up with PepsiCo to have the latter become its official soft drinks partner of Manchester United in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei, in a multi-year partnership.PepsiCo holds exclusive rights to use Manchester United branding on its products and point of sale materials within these markets.In Singapore, a Manchester United-PepsiCo interactive game using of augmented reality will launch on MediaCorp outdoor screens at Junction 8 and The Star Vista this weekend.The event will see PepsiCo using AR elements to emulate a Manchester United soccer gaming with Pepsi.In 2012, Manchester United was looking to be listed in Hong Kong and Singapore, but eventually listed in the US.