Photo Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images for NASCAR
Will Serve as Primary Sponsor on the No. 9 Ford at Bristol Motor Speedway
Blue-Emu will bring its blue and white brand colors to the No. 9 Ford and race them under the lights at the popular event. Although the company is no stranger to the organization, being an associate sponsor of RPM throughout the 2014 season, the opportunity to showcase its product during one of NASCAR’s most popular events right in its own backyard allows Blue-Emu to complement its already strong ties with the Petty brand.
“The relationship we have built with the Blue-Emu brand over the past year is something we are very proud of,” said Mike Hargrave, Chief Marketing Officer and EVP of Richard Petty Motorsports. “We supported their brand direction through Richard’s involvement in Blue-Emu television creative, and together, we have systematically grown our partnership based on their business needs. We’re excited to continue the introduction of Blue-Emu to millions of NASCAR fans who will either be in attendance at Bristol or watching the race on the NBC Sports Network.”
No. 9 Blue-Emu Ford
Blue-Emu’s 4oz jar is America’s number one selling over-the-counter muscle and joint cream according to recent IRI data. Blue-Emu has featured “The King” Richard Petty in television, radio and print ads all season. It is now ready to fully take over the No. 9 Ford with Hornish in its home city.
“You don’t get bigger than Richard Petty in NASCAR,” said Benjamin Blessing, EVP of Sales and Marketing of parent company NFI Consumer Products. “And, we have seen a lot of success with him and Richard Petty Motorsports in our marketing efforts. It just made a lot of sense to capitalize on the opportunity to be a primary sponsor of the No. 9 Ford team and Sam Hornish Jr. here in Bristol. It’s going to be a special night for us in our hometown and will give our fans added interest during one of the sports most anticipated events.”
“Our partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports has been great for the Blue-Emu brand,” continues Susan Gregory, President and CEO of NFI Consumer Products. “All of us here at Blue-Emu are proud to be part of the RPM team both on and off the track. We’re looking forward to an exciting race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, and we’ll all be rooting for Sam Hornish Jr. and the No. 9 Blue-Emu Ford!”
Hornish, who is coming off his best finish of 19th at the track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with RPM in April, is looking forward to giving Blue-Emu a night to remember.
“This is one of the best nights for fans and our partners,” said Hornish. “Bristol always produces exciting races and fierce battles on the track between competitors. There’s a lot of beating and banging and fighting for positions, so I’ll make sure to have my Blue-Emu ready for after the race. I expect to have a lot of their fans cheering for us at their home track, and I’m looking forward to showing them a great time and capping the night off with a great finish.”
The night race at Bristol Motor Speedway will be aired live on NBC Sports Network on Saturday, August 22, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
In January of 2014, Gregory Pharmaceutical Holdings, Inc. purchased NFI Consumer Products and rapidly took advantage of the Blue-Emu® following amongst consumers, and expanded their advertising to further accelerate the growth of the Blue-Emu® product line. In June 2014, Original Blue-Emu® Super Strength cream was recognized as the #1 selling over-the-counter muscle and joint cream in the United States. NFI has since expanded the Blue-Emu® product line to include Blue-Emu® Continuous Pain Relief Spray, Blue-Emu® Maximum Arthritis Pain Relief Cream and Blue-Emu® Anti-Itch Cream. Today, NFI Consumer Products distributes the emu oil based Blue-Emu® products throughout the United States, primarily through mass merchandisers, supermarkets and drug stores. The company currently distributes the Blue-Emu® product line through various retailers representing over 35,000 retail outlets.About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
