NEWS

Ülker’s basic philosophy of “Children First” is once more focused on children as it sponsors the FIBA World Championship and organizes events for kids at the sports centers. Ülker has undertaken the sponsorship of the FIBA World Championships as well as the Turkish Basketball Federation-sponsored “Children of the World” project, which involves children from 110 FIBA member countries. Under the project, 300 children, 220 of them from foreign countries, will be welcomed in Istanbul.

Ülker brings the joy of basketball into homes with 37 million products.
1.7 million Metro Large Size with the FIBA logo, 6.5 million boxes of Içim flavored milk and 29 million containers of Içim buttermilk are available to consumers at 136,000 sales points.

Ülker, which began its romance with basketball in 1975 in a small basketball court in the garden of its factory and later on established the Ülkerspor basketball team in 1993 and has supported the rapidly growing sport for many years, has outdone itself this time.

Ülker, in keeping with its philosophy of “Children First” is undertaking the main sponsorship of the Turkish Basketball Federation’s “Children of the World” project. The basketball-oriented project will also provide kids with cultural, educational and social opportunities when it hosts 300 children at the event in Istanbul.

At a recent press conference attended by FIBA World Championship General Secretary Ali Özsoy, Yıldız Holding Corporate Communications Director Zuhal Şeker and Yıldız Holding Marketing Group President Ahad Afridi, details about Ülker’s sponsorship of the World Basketball Championships were shared.

TBF General Secretary Ali Özsoy reminded the gathering that the eyes of the world will be focused on Turkey for the duration of the 2010 FIBA World Championship. It will be a great opportunity for the world not only to watch the games, but to see our country. Özsoy continued by saying, “Up to now, the Turkish Basketball Federation has organized many national and international events. With the help and support of media representatives, interest in the game of basketball is increasing day by day and interest in becoming a sponsoring company is growing. At this point, we are very happy that Ülker, which has been a great supporter of basketball for many years, has risen to the challenge and undertaken the job of main sponsor of the championship. When the championship is over, we will be meeting again to discuss the development of existing infrastructure and the creation of new structures.”

Şeker: “Our support of Basketball is at a higher level than ever”
Yıldız Holding Corporate Communications Director Zuhal Şeker, said that the years of continuous support that the company has provided for sports has caused it to spread and contribute to wider platforms. Zuhal Şeker stated, “We are once again focusing on children during the championship. Besides sponsoring the FIBA World Championship, we are also hosting the “Children of the World” project.  As a brand name that has supported sports for many years and, through cooperation with football and basketball clubs and federations, has contributed to the development of sports and the sports industry, we are continuing to invest in the future of sports by operating child-oriented sports projects.”

Şeker said that Ülker is not only involved with basketball on a surface level, but also is concerned with the infrastructure of the game, and continued, “The Kids’ Basketball Festivals project we have supported for five years has touched the lives of almost 5,000 kids. We also wanted to share some of the stories that have affected basketball with fans of the game.  We have done so by creating a book of “happy moments” and inspiring stories related to our basketball history, champion teams and players. We will share them with you as soon as possible.”  Noting that interest in basketball will likely increase after the championship, she said that the perception of sports sponsorship will also be strengthened and become more attractive.  

“Children of the World” participants travelled a total of almost 2 million km to get to Turkey
FIBA and the Turkish Basketball Federation’s “Children of the World” project will take place August 24 – 31.  220 children from 110 countries on 5 continents will be hosted and they will travel a total of 2 million kilometers to get to Turkey. Eighty children from Turkey will also be among the participants in the event during which 76 different languages will be spoken. The project was organized to coincide with the 2010 World Basketball Championship, also being held in Turkey.  The 13 and 14 year old children from different nations and different cultures will participate in social and cultural exchanges and develop their knowledge and skills related to basketball. For an entire week, the kids will be taken on tours in different parts of the country, participate in team-building activities and tournaments and watch basketball matches. One group of children from the camp will be treated to a tour of the Ülker chocolate factory.

Yıldız Holding Marketing Group President Ahad Afridi shared information with the media representatives who were in attendance about the advertising campaign which has been prepared to promote the championship.  He indicated that the commercial would emphasize the years of support that Ülker has provided to the game of basketball and illustrate some of the “happy moments” related to basketball that have come about over the years. Afridi said, “The commercial that we have prepared to promote the FIBA World Championship and the happy moments in basketball that we illustrate in the film is true to the “Happy Moments” concept that was created to recognize the 65th anniversary of the Ülker brand name. We enlisted the services of the well-known director, Gregor Nicholas for the film. Stirring music, a digital environment and events on the field are all elements in the 360 degree communications campaign that we have prepared.” By making important investments in basketball with its Içim and Metro brands, Ülker is promoting the basketball concept to consumers.”

Zuhal Şeker spoke as well: “In association with the FIBA World Championship, our Ülker Içim and Metro brands have been sent out to the playing field. By printing the championship logo on 37 million products, we have increased their recognizability and brought the enjoyment and excitement of basketball into the home. Over the length of the championship, 1.7 million Metro Large Size chocolate bars will be stocked at 62,000 sales points and 6.5 million boxes of Içim flavored milk and 29 million containers of buttermilk will be available at 75,000 sales points throughout the country. A total of 136,000 sales points will help us to increase basketball excitement for our customers.”

Ülker Içim is working to get kids out on the courts to enjoy basketball
Ülker Içim, which has been investing in basketball for many years introduced a new project this year to get children out of the house and onto the basketball court. The “Get out on the field” television program was sponsored by Ülker and Ülker Içim products.  During the program, famous basketball player Ibrahim Kutluay explained techniques for playing basketball, and shared his experiences. A portion of the program was also set aside to talk about the importance of nutrition and balanced eating, which is necessary for a sports player.  He also visited schools and met with nearly 10 thousand students.

Basketball Helped To Make Metro Longer
The other Ülker product that is utilized to support basketball is Ülker Metro… the “energy sponsor” of the FIBA World Championship.  A limited number of Metro have been produced in a new longer size with the special FIBA logo on the label and the commercial to promote the product Metro Large Size, stars famous basketball players Mirsad Türkcan and Ömer Onan.

“Children of the World”, a summary
•    nearly 300 children from 110 countries in 5 continents attended the camps
•    the farthest country represented was Cook Island in t he South pacific
•    to get here, the children travelled a total of 2 million kilometers
•    translations into 7 languages
•    76 languages spoken
•    75 volunteers from 6 countries helped at the camp
•    Dallas University conducted a study at the camp
•    5 children from Turkey in the audience were chosen to participate in the “Sahaya Çık” program.