Press Releases

A pirate’s life heading for the Volvo Ocean Race

 

For immediate release

 

PORTSMOUTH, England (March 21, 2005) – The Volvo Ocean Race is braced for the glare of the Hollywood spotlight with the ground-breaking announcement today that there will be a Pirates of the Caribbean II entry in the 2005-2006 round-the-world yacht race.

 

The Walt Disney Company and Volvo (Volvo Car Corporation and AB Volvo) have entered into a unique film marketing deal for Pirates of the Caribbean II that includes the creation of a competitive entry in the world’s premier log distance yacht race.

 

The Volvo Ocean Race is a round-the-world, 31,250 nm adventure yacht race featuring nine offshore legs. The race is staged once every four years. New for the 2005-2006 event, a special inshore race will be held at each of the main stopover ports to enhance the excitement of the competition and entice larger audiences.

 

The race will be launched with an in-shore race in Sanxenxo, Galicia, on November 5, 2005, while the start of leg one – the first offshore leg – will begin at Vigo, Galicia, on November 12 and travel to Cape Town, South Africa. The finish is at Göteborg, Sweden, and the first ship is expected to arrive mid-June, 2006.

 

The announcement of the ‘Pirates’ boat ensures a high-profile presence among the fleet for the eight-month epic.

 

“The excitement and intrigue which this entry brings to the race takes us to a whole new level in terms of global profile and exposure,” said Glenn Bourke, CEO for Volvo Ocean Race. “To include a Hollywood icon such as the Walt Disney Company is a fillip for the event and for sailing in general.”

 

Bourke added: “The deal also underscores the value of the Volvo Ocean Race as a compelling marketing communications tool in the eyes of the commercial world.”

 

Four teams from the 2001-2002 race measured the media value of their exposure. The results showed an average of US$50 million, which equates to a 200-300 per cent return on their sponsorship investment. The Volvo Ocean Race 2001-2002 achieved a cumulative audience of over 800 million viewers, ranking it among the top international sporting events.

 

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Gore Verbinski, once again stars Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Orlando Bloom as Will Turner and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, the follow-up to the international blockbuster released in 2003, is currently being filmed in Los Angeles and the Caribbean and is due for release in July, 2006.

 

“We’re excited to be participating in the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race, which is very much like the ‘Formula 1’ of yacht racing,” said Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. “This is a fun and unique way to remind viewers all over the world that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest will be sailing into theatres next summer. Given the film’s high seas adventures and nautical themes, this marathon sporting event is a great way to make some waves and generate awareness among the millions of viewers.”

 

The ‘Pirates’ campaign will be project managed by Richard Brisius and his Atlant Ocean Racing syndicate.

 

As part of its support for the Volvo Ocean Race, Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd. will be releasing special Volvo Ocean Race editions of its popular Volvo XC90, XC70 and V70 models. The buyer demographics of these three vehicles closely match those who enjoy boating and competitions similar to the Volvo Ocean Race. Available for sale later this year, the vehicles will sport a unique blue paint scheme and be equipped with a tempting options package.

 

Volvo Cars of Canada Ltd. is part of the Volvo Car Corporation of Göteborg, Sweden. The company provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to the 43 Volvo automobile retailers across the country. The company’s product range includes the flagship S80 luxury sedan, the versatile V70 wagon, the S60 sports sedan, and an XC-line of vehicles that includes the rugged XC70 and the award-winning XC90 sport utility vehicle. For 2005, the company is introducing the completely redesigned S40 sports sedan and V50 sportswagon, providing performance for a new generation.

 

The Volvo Group (AB Volvo) is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment, drive systems for marine and industrial applications, aerospace components and services. The Group also provides solutions for financing and service.

 

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For further information on the Volvo Ocean Race, please contact:

Cameron Kelleher, PR Director

Tel: +44 1489 564 555

Mobile: +44 7795 185 430

Email: cameron.kelleher@volvooceanrace.org

http://www.volvooceanrace.org

For information about Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, contact:

Terri Meyer

Senior VP Publicity

Buena Vista International

Tel: +1 818 558 2291

Dennis Rice

Senior VP Publicity

Buena Vista Pictures Marketing

Tel: +1 818 560 5610

High resolution conceptual images of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest Volvo Ocean Race boat are available from www.image.net

Royalty-free images can be downloaded from http://media.vemuk.com

Patrick Anderson

Picture Desk Manager

Tel: +44 777 55 33 956.

Email: Patrick.Anderson@volvooceanrace.org

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