By Sarah Falson
SYDNEY: Panasonic today sponsored a Billabong-branded Girls Get Out There event at Cronulla Beach, where hoards of teenage girls fronted up for some fun in the sun.
The event – perfectly timed with Sydney’s current school-holiday period – included free surfing lessons with professional surfers, live music, sand-sculpturing workshops, and the chance to win a Panasonic DMC FX07 Digital Camera along with a DMW-MCFX01E Marine Case (which retail for $659 and $499 respectively).
Each attendee also received a Billabong gift-pack that included an exclusive Girls Get Out There singlet and a copy of the latest magazine from co-sponsor, Girlfriend (other sponsors included Clearasil, Vodafone and Pump Water).
The Panasonic/Billabong partnership has been on-going for the past four years. Billabong manufactures a range of surf, snow and skate products and clothing, and the company projects a youth-oriented image.
Panasonic calls this partnership its ‘Youth Strategy’, which sees the company sponsor regular Billabong local surf, snow and skate events, including the Surf Shots Film Festival which runs once a year in Sydney.
“It provides Panasonic with a full calendar year of activity and allows them to increase their brand profile in the youth market,” said Panasonic in a release yesterday.
“The concept of aligning the world’s leading youth lifestyle brand – Billabong – with the world’s leading electronics company has provided tremendous opportunities for both companies to cross-pollinate customers and portray a strong message to today’s youth. Billabong also has a global partnership with MTV who films Billabong events and produces TV shows which provide added exposure for Panasonic as it takes its sponsorship to a wider TV audience.
“Panasonic New Zealand and Panasonic USA have also seen the benefits of this partnership working well in Australia and have signed on as a partner in their markets as a result. We have worked closely with Billabong in developing the tour bus which is powered by Panasonic and includes a variety of Panasonic products. The bus attends all of Billabong’s surf, snow, skate and music events around Australia, providing a mobile billboard for Panasonic.”