Bostik Becomes Official Partner of Tour de France

Bostik, a leading global adhesive specialist for construction, consumer and industrial markets, today announced that it has signed up as an official partner of iconic cycling event, the Tour de France. The new sponsorship agreement upgrades the firm's previous participation as an official supplier in 2015 and 2016 and will run for the next two years. The event will be used as a platform to communicate and promote the Bostik brand to a large global audience.

     (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/527569/Bostik_Tour_de_France.jpg )

The 2017 event, the 104th time the race has been held, will take place from 1-23 July starting with the Grand Départ from Düsseldorf in Germany. The 3,540 kilometer route across 21 stages will also visit Belgium and Luxembourg. 198 riders from 22 competing teams will encounter some of the most challenging terrain in world cycling before crossing the finish line on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on 23 July.

The race will be broadcast to an estimated audience of 2 billion TV viewers and 10 to 12 million spectators are expected to line the route. In addition, the Tour de France official website will attract 36 million visitors during the event while an additional 6 million fans will follow the race's social media accounts.

Confirming the new sponsorship agreement, Bostik Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Vincent Legros said, "We are very pleased to reinforce our association with the Tour de France, which remains among the world's top three most popular sporting events." He continued, "This new agreement will enable us to both increase our brand visibility and demonstrate our performance over each of the 21 stages."

Using a promotional theme of 'The Gecko Sticks Everywhere', the new partnership will leverage:

• Four new Bostik-branded vehicles in the famous 'Publicity Caravan' which will precede the peloton on each stage and will distribute over 500,000 gifts and rebate coupons worth a total of €500,000 to spectators
• High brand visibility along the route - Particularly in the closing thirty kilometres of each stage
• Branded warning signs on each stage to safeguard riders at dangerous turns
• Branded self-adhesive information guides available to all riders for each stage
• Interactive gaming with the first Facebook Messenger Treasure Hunt available at: http://m.me/Letour or http://www.facebook.com/LeTour (From 1 July)
• Online presence on http://www.letour.com and social media accounts including Twitter (#BostikTDF), Facebook (BostikSmartAdhesives) and Instagram
• Corporate hospitality opportunities for over 550 invited guests

In addition to marketing opportunities at the event, the sponsorship will be leveraged internationally through in-store and product promotions during the summer months.

About Bostik, an Arkema company 

Bostik is a leading global adhesive specialist in construction, consumer and industrial markets. For more than a century, it has been developing innovative adhesive solutions that are smarter and more adaptive to the forces that shape daily lives. From cradle to grave, from home to office, Bostik's smart adhesives can be found everywhere. With annual sales of €1.95 billion, the company employs 6,000 people and has a presence in more than 50 countries. For the latest information, visit http://www.bostik.com .

About Arkema 

A designer of materials and innovative solutions, Arkema shapes materials and creates new uses that accelerate customer performance. Our balanced business portfolio spans high-performance materials, industrial specialties and coating solutions. Our globally recognized brands are ranked among the leaders in the markets we serve. Reporting annual sales of €7.5 billion in 2016, we employ approximately 19,000 people worldwide and operate in close to 50 countries. We are committed to active engagement with all our stakeholders. Our research centers in North America, France and Asia concentrate on advances in bio-based products, new energies, water management, electronic solutions, lightweight materials and design, home efficiency and insulation. For the latest, visit http://www.arkema.com .