This weekend’s season opener in Melbourne, Australia, marks the beginning of the second year of partnership between the AT&T Williams team and Battery Energy Drink, a product of the Finnish company, Oy Sinebrychoff Ab, part of the international Carlsberg Breweries A/S.

The energy drinks sector is currently experiencing significant growth, far outstripping the growth rates across the general soft drinks category. Within the energy drinks sector itself, Battery is recording far above average sales increase rates, both in existing and new markets.

“We at Battery have been extremely pleased with our first year of partnership with the AT&T Williams team; there is ample reason to be excited about the second year of this successful engagement. Working closely with the team and in the Formula One environment has strengthened Battery’s profile as an international energy drink brand among customers, consumers and our sales teams internationally,” said Jori Manninen, Marketing Manager, Oy Sinebrychoff Ab.

In 2006, Battery ran major consumer promotions, including a “Win a Job” promotion in Finland. The winner of this promotion will work one GP weekend as a member of the AT&T Williams team. The “Win a Job” promotion concept will be rolled out across other territories in 2007.

Later this year the exploitation of the partnership will extend into new lifestyle promotions offering Battery drinkers the opportunity to win Formula One style weekends based around the team’s motor home.

Williams F1’s Head of Marketing, Scott Garrett, said, “We are delighted to have Sinebrychoff’s continued support in 2007 and equally pleased that the Battery brand has so creatively and actively built sales growth around effective Formula One-themed promotional activities. Battery will continue to keep the team going by being the team’s energy drink of choice in a sports environment where hard
work counts.”

As part of the race driver’s inventory, Battery has supplied AT&T Williams drivers Alex Wurz and Nico Rosberg as well as the test drivers Kazuki Nakajima and Narain Karthikeyan with new, state-of-the-art black and gold coloured drinks bottles.

Concurrent with significant sales growth and increasing product distribution which now spans over 30 territories, Battery is now available in three flavours, Original, Stripped (sugar-free) and Gingered. More information is available at www.batterydrink.com.