As part of a business-to-business deal with the Menards home improvement chain, Valvoline this week will announce that it is aligning with NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Paul Menard’s No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.
The four-race, co-primary deal is part of the pass-through-rights program that Menards runs with vendors as part of its full-season sponsorship of Menard, whose father, John, founded the Wisconsin-based company.
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Valvoline will use pass-through rights from the Menards home improvement chain.
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Valvoline, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2016, replaces Quaker State as the motor oil/lubricants brand that Menards will pass through in NASCAR, though Menards’ off-track relationship with Quaker State continues. The Valvoline deal, whose financial terms could not be attained, is not exclusive and Richard Childress Racing still retains Lucas Oil as its official motor oil sponsor.
The deal came about because Valvoline wanted to expand its distribution in the Midwest, said Neal Pankey, Valvoline’s director of strategic accounts. Formerly available in a limited number of Menards stores, Valvoline now will be in most of Menards’ 280 stores, along with having an increased number of products in them.
“If you look at where Menards stores are — 280 stores primarily in the Midwest — those are where our brand is the strongest; we’re No. 1 in that region,” Pankey said. “So it became a very good fit for us and Menards to partner together not only on the track but at retail.”
To kick off the new partnership, Valvoline shot two 60- to 90-second spots as part of its Legacy in Racing series that it will debut digitally. The first one is about Paul Menard’s reflections from growing up in racing. The second spot goes to Menard’s home of Eau Claire, Wis., to see what his life was like growing up there.
Big Communications handles the public relations and Legacy in Racing series creation and production. TSMGI handles Menards’ sports marketing with RCR.
Valvoline also recently unveiled an in-store consumer promotion with its other NASCAR endorsers, the four drivers who make up Hendrick Motorsports’ stable, called “Pit Pals.” When consumers buy five quarts of motor oil from participating stores, they get a free bobblehead of either Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne or Sprint Cup rookie Chase Elliott.
