Nicorette Inks Three-Year Deals With NASCAR, Chip Ganassi Racing

Talk about a change of culture. NASCAR, a sport built on money from tobacco companies, has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with GlaxoSmithKline’s Nicorette, a product that helps smokers quit the habit. On the surface the two seem to make strange bedfellows, but GSK sees a lucrative opportunity in NASCAR, as research shows that the sport’s fans are much more likely to smoke than other adults. GSK Consumer Healthcare Senior Manager of Promotional Activities Steve Kapur: “This is a great audience for us.” The sponsorship deal is the first for NASCAR since VP/Corporate Sponsorships Brett Yormark departed to rejoin the Nets earlier this month, indicating the property remains hot in the minds of marketing executives.

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