Da Bears Extend Partnership With Toyota

LAKE FOREST, Ill., Aug. 31, 2010 -- The Chicago Bears have expanded their partnership with Toyota through the 2011 season. Toyota, which signed on as a "Proud Partner" of the Bears in 2009, is now the "Official Car of the Chicago Bears."

"Toyota has quickly become a valued Bears marketing partner," said Chicago Bears Senior Director of Sales and Marketing Chris Hibbs. "The fact that they've chosen to further invest in the Bears after our first ever partnership in 2009 validates the value of our brand and the importance Toyota places on our expansive fan base. We're very pleased to have Toyota as the 'Official Car of the Chicago Bears'."

"Toyota and its Chicagoland dealers are extremely excited with our new expanded role with the Chicago Bears," said Michael Rocco, General Manager of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.'s Chicago Region. "The Bears are one of most prominent franchises in the National Football League and we consider it an honor to be deemed the team's 'official car.'"

In addition to a variety of Bears assets, Toyota will be the headline sponsor of the team's official post-game show Bears Gamenight Live on FOX Chicago (Sundays at 10:35 pm CT). They will also be an associate partner of Back to Football Week, a celebration throughout the Chicagoland area to get fans primed for the kickoff of the Bears regular season schedule. Toyota will also be sponsoring the "Fan of the Week" application on Facebook, which will honor the Bears biggest fans.

Throughout the agreement, Toyota will also have a presence in LED Signage throughout Soldier Field during Bears home games, the official GameDay Magazine, preseason television and the Bears Insider radio show (Monday's at 7:00 pm CT on WBBM-AM).

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of nearly 1,500 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers which sold more than 1.77 million vehicles in 2009. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com, www.lexus.com, www.scion.com.