Stanley Black & Decker today announced one of its largest global partnerships ever through an association with football giant FC Barcelona. Echoing FC Barcelona’s world-famous slogan ‘More than a Club,’ Stanley Black & Decker is promising football fans around the world ‘more than a partnership,’ by showcasing its world-class brands during matches and giving fans access to unique money-can’t-buy experiences.

Whether it’s the opportunity to share a plane with the team as they fly to an away game, or the chance to learn skills from real-life coaches at FC Barcelona’s training facilities, these unique activities will be supported by a strong Stanley Black & Decker presence within all of the club’s distribution channels. The agreement will see activation through its power tool, hand tool and security brands, STANLEY, BLACK+DECKER, DEWALT and FACOM.

Unveiled at a media launch at the iconic Camp Nou stadium, Stanley Black & Decker was named as an ‘Official FC Barcelona Global Partner,’ STANLEY, ‘Official and Exclusive Tools and Security Partner of FC Barcelona,’ DEWALT, ‘Official Power Tools Partner of FC Barcelona,’ BLACK+DECKER, ‘Official Partner of FC Barcelona’ and FACOM, ‘Official Professional Tools Partner of FC Barcelona’. The strategic partnership will offer significant brand exposure for some of the world’s most-recognized tool brands, and will include LED advertising during the team’s global match broadcasts to more than 200 countries each week, exposure on Barca TV, the website and the club’s social media platforms, where it has in excess of 320 million fans and followers, more than any other team in the world.

Speaking at the media launch, Scott Bannell, VP Brand Management & Licensing at Stanley Black & Decker, said: “This partnership with FC Barcelona demonstrates our continued investment and ongoing commitment to sport in general, and to the world of football in particular. It provides the perfect stage to highlight Stanley Black & Decker’s brand portfolio and engage with our customers by delivering exciting content and promotions across all global markets.

The agreement allows the STANLEY, BLACK+DECKER, DEWALT and FACOM brands to work on co-branded promotional items and campaigns with FC Barcelona, taking in everything from match tickets, signed merchandise and ‘meet & greets’ with players, to VIP travel experiences, personalised applications and mobile content. ”

Earle Smola, Director of Brand Design & Sponsorships at Stanley Black & Decker, added: “To maximise the new partnership amongst Football Club Barcelona’s wide-reaching fan base, as well as our own customers around the world, we’ll be creating a series of highly engaging marketing promotions through both traditional and online media. Coupled with exclusive in-store promotions and unique live events, this partnership will heighten global brand exposure to our key target audiences. Beginning next month, the 2015 Global Striker Challenge promotion will launch in 19 countries, resulting in winners and guests coming to Barcelona from around the world in early 2015 to take part in the ultimate FC Barcelona experience.” More information on this year’s Striker Challenge, as well as content from the past two Striker Challenge events can be found at www.stanleytools.eu/striker-challenge

News of the exclusive ‘money-can’t buy experiences’ aavailable to fans in each region will be announced in separate press releases as the campaigns roll out. arles Vilarrubí, Institutional and International Vice President of FC Barcelona, stated this is “An alliance between two prestigious entities.” “For FC Barcelona it is a pleasure to unite our name with that of a leading global brand in the tools and electronic security sector like Stanley Black & Decker. This is a strategic alliance that goes much further than a traditional sponsorship deal, because it unites two internationally prestigious entities, both of which feature prominently in the everyday lives of so many homes around the world, who will seek to achieve common objectives and to create highly beneficial synergies. Barça fans and Stanley Black & Decker customers will be the main beneficiaries of this association.”

CAA Sports, a division of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the world’s leading entertainment and sports agency, brokered the deal with Stanley Black & Decker on behalf of its client FC Barcelona.

Source: Stanley Black & Decker