Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment Join Forces with Hendrick Motorsports
(May 15, 2014 – Concord, NC) – Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), in conjunction with DC Entertainment (DCE), has joined forces with 11-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports in a unique three-year agreement that will allow the team and its partners to develop consumer promotions and original content to engage youth, drive fan excitement and energize licensed merchandise initiatives.
WBCP and DCE will work with Hendrick Motorsports and its partners to build on- and off-track programs teaming star drivers Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. with the most recognized characters in Super Hero lore, including Batman, Superman, The Flash and Green Lantern.
“We are excited to partner on a long-term program that brings together Hendrick Motorsports’ super hero drivers with the Super Heroes of DC Comics,” said Brad Globe, president, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “This partnership will allow us to offer NASCAR and DC Comics fans unique experiences that tap into the storylines of our characters and the successes of these four world-class athletes.”
Potential programs include co-developed car paint schemes, comic books and digital content incorporating DC Comics Super Heroes and illustrated likenesses of Hendrick Motorsports drivers. Team partners will have exclusive opportunities to align with upcoming Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Comics-inspired programming and releases.
“Working with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment will make for an innovative and impactful partnership,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “Adding value to sponsor relationships, developing an even stronger retail licensing platform and engaging with young people are high priorities for us. This collaboration will generate many opportunities in those areas.”
The first joint program will come to life around upcoming Sprint Cup events at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 25) and Michigan International Speedway (June 15) where Superman, the world’s first and most recognized Super Hero, will be featured on Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevrolet SS. The Superman-themed paint scheme will pair the Army National Guard with the Superman Hall of Heroes, a new online gift-giving portal that empowers consumers to honor their personal heroes; those who have made a positive impact on their lives or the lives of others.
“Our partners have activated promotions around Batman and Superman that remain two of the best programs we’ve ever seen at retail,” said Patrick Perkins, Hendrick Motorsports’ vice president of marketing. “We expect similar success with the Superman Hall of Heroes. It’s an excellent fit for the National Guard and a perfect kickoff to our new association with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment.”
The No. 88 National Guard/Superman Chevrolet SS will be unveiled May 21. Fans can learn more by following Hendrick Motorsports on Facebook and Twitter.
About Warner Bros. Consumer Products:
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world. About DC Entertainment:
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world. About Hendrick Motorsports:
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned more than 200 race victories and a record 11 car owner championships in NASCAR's premier division, the Sprint Cup Series. Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2014, the organization fields four full-time Chevrolet teams on the Sprint Cup circuit with drivers Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Headquartered in Concord, N.C., Hendrick Motorsports employs more than 500 people. For more information, please visit www.HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.###
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world. About DC Entertainment:
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world. About Hendrick Motorsports:
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned more than 200 race victories and a record 11 car owner championships in NASCAR's premier division, the Sprint Cup Series. Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2014, the organization fields four full-time Chevrolet teams on the Sprint Cup circuit with drivers Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Headquartered in Concord, N.C., Hendrick Motorsports employs more than 500 people. For more information, please visit www.HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.