CHICAGO, July 14, 2010 The new Manchester United home kit for the 2010-11 season was revealed today, with the logo of Aon Corporation (NYSE:AON), the leading global provider of risk services and human capital consulting, featured on the front of the famous shirt. Aon’s four-year shirt sponsorship of the Manchester United Football Club was launched on June 1, 2010.
“The Manchester United shirt is an iconic image in the world of sport, and we are honored to appear on it,” said Greg Case, president and chief executive officer of Aon. “Starting today millions of people worldwide will begin to know yet another leading team: Aon.”
Case said that in honor of this historic occasion, every one of Aon’s 36,000 global colleagues will receive a Manchester United team shirt.
The Aon logo is featured on the front of the shirt. Inside the shirt on the back of the club crest is the mantra of Manchester United – “Believe.” That message sits next to the heart, revealing the inner pride of every Manchester United fan while the symbolic Red Devil rests on the sleeve of the shirt and the shorts to add the finishing touches to the kit.
The new home kit combines elements of the club’s history with new age technology – as every shirt has been made entirely from recycled polyester and each created from up to eight plastic water bottles as part of Nike’s "Considered Design" program. You can learn more about the new Manchester United home kit by visiting www.manutd.com and www.nike.com.
David Gill, Chief Executive Officer of Manchester United, said, “We’re delighted to be launching our latest Manchester United shirt and the first to bear the Aon logo. We’re incredibly proud of our association with Aon and look forward to achieving great things, both on and off the pitch, through our partnership with them."
Case noted, “Our sponsorship of Manchester United is an important amplifier of our Aon United vision – to work together as one team for clients, for colleagues and for communities in order to grow our firm. This shirt sponsorship creates an opportunity for us to unite our firm while telling the world who we are and the value we bring to clients.”
Aon has dedicated July 15 as “Aon United Global Day," demonstrating Aon and Manchester United’s shared commitment to serving their communities.
In Chicago, a series of events will take place at Millennium Park to support children of the Chicago Park District and Special Olympics Chicago, as well as LifeSource Blood Center. Around the world, Aon’s 36,000 colleagues in over 120 countries will be participating in fundraising and volunteer activities, including supporting hundreds of schools, children’s hospitals, orphanages and community centers as well as more well-known organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters Clubs, Junior Achievement, Ronald McDonald House, Special Olympics, UNICEF, United Way, and the YMCA.
For example, in Botswana, Aon colleagues will partner with the House of Hope orphanage by providing furniture donations and helping to clean and improve the facility. Aon’s Singapore office will host an indoor football match for the young people served by Boys’ Town and will support the organization’s new building fund. Aon Bangalore has “adopted” a local elementary school that it will support throughout the coming year with both charitable donations and volunteer service. In Bolivia, Aon colleagues will donate to Hogar de Ninos Alaly, helping to plant trees on the orphanage grounds and creating art projects with the children who live there. In Sacramento, California, Aon colleagues are partnering with Project 680 by collecting hygiene supplies to distribute to homeless youth. In the Netherlands, Aon colleagues will participate in a charity bike ride and sell Right to Play merchandise to help raise funds for youth sports programs in disadvantaged areas.
Visit www.aon.com/unitedin2010 for more information on Aon’s sponsorship of Manchester United.
ENDS
About Aon
Aon Corporation (NYSE: AON) is the leading global provider of risk management services, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human capital consulting. Through its more than 36,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon delivers distinctive client value via innovative and effective risk management and workforce productivity solutions. Aon's industry-leading global resources and technical expertise are delivered locally through more than 500 offices in more than 120 countries. Named the world's best broker by Euromoney magazine's 2008, 2009 and 2010 Insurance Survey, Aon also ranked highest on Business Insurance's listing of the world's largest insurance brokers based on commercial retail, wholesale, reinsurance and personal lines brokerage revenues in 2008 and 2009. A.M. Best deemed Aon the number one insurance broker based on brokerage revenues in 2007, 2008 and 2009, and Aon was voted best insurance intermediary, best reinsurance intermediary and best employee benefits consulting firm in 2007, 2008 and 2009 by the readers of Business Insurance. Visit http://www.aon.com for more information on Aon and http://www.aon.com/unitedin2010 to learn about Aon’s global partnership and shirt sponsorship with Manchester United.
About Manchester United
Manchester United is the biggest football club in the world. It has an estimated 333 million fans across the globe. Its home at Old Trafford celebrates its centenary in 2010 and reflects the rich history that surrounds the Club. The first English Club to compete in the European Club, its visionary manager Sir Matt Busby later led the team to the first English triumph in that competition in 1968. In modern times, Sir Alex Ferguson – also knighted by HM The Queen for his outstanding contribution to football – has led the Club to more European, domestic and world success.
For further information, please contact:
Phil Townsend
Manchester United
T: +44 (0)161 868 8148
pressoffice@manutd.co.uk
Vicky Owens
Manchester United
T: +44 (0)161 868 8427
David Prosperi
Aon Corporation
T: +1 312 381 2485
david_prosperi@aon.com
David Bogg
Aon Corporation
T: +44 (0)20 7522 4016
David.bogg@aonbenfield.com
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