Gordon Unveils Paint Scheme Around Sponsor Axalta's Partnership With Penn State

NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon yesterday "unveiled a Penn State-themed paint scheme" that he will drive at Pocono Raceway’s Axalta We Paint Winners 400 on June 7 during a visit to the school, according to Shawn Annarelli of the CENTRE DAILY TIMES. Gordon was on campus as PSU and Philadelphia-based Axalta "celebrated its partnership" to "drive awareness and support for STEM and business education and focuses on students studying engineering and business." PSU students "can take advantage of Axalta internships offered through the program, which is the second of its kind that the company has with a university." The first, launched last year, was with Axalta Chair & CEO Charlie Shaver’s alma mater, Texas A&M (CENTRE DAILY TIMES, 4/15). PSU student newspaper the DAILY COLLEGIAN's Kyle Magda notes Gordon "drove a Texas A&M-themed car last April" at Texas Motor Speedway to promote the initial program. The PSU-themed No. 24 Chevy "will be on display at Saturday’s Blue-White spring football game." PSU will have 100 students "participate in a special program during the June Pocono NASCAR weekend, including a tour of the garages to get a behind-the-scenes look at how teams prepare for the race." The idea of partnering with PSU "was brought up to Shaver" because of the company's Philadelphia locale (DAILY COLLEGIAN, 4/15).

THREE'S COMPANY: SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Adam Stern reports 3M today unveiled a "bevy of special tie-ins" with Gordon that "play off the company’s refreshed motto." The campaign, titled “3M Science. Applied to Life” and developed in conjunction with BBDO, "was revealed last month." 3M, which sponsors both NASCAR and Gordon, "will run a special paint scheme the rest of the season that displays the new slogan." The company "also will release a short-form, light-hearted, digital video series that shows a whitecoat-donning Gordon learning about how 3M’s technology is used in cars." The company "will underscore its hidden-in-plain-sight theme by using -- and then highlighting -- 3M products on Gordon’s car" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 4/13 issue).