Visionary sponsorship deal for Open

To celebrate its 18-year association with The Open Championship, Nikon has lined up a series of fantastic events and prizes to coincide whit this year’s event at Royal St George’s

At the championship, the world leader in digital and precision optics technology will be hosting an experiential area where members of the public will be able to have their golf swing analysed by a PGA golf coach using the COOLPIX P300, Nikon’s high performance COOLPIX camera that features full HD Movie Mode, to help make improvements to their swing.

In partnership with Getty Images, one of the world’s leading creators and distributors of still imagery, Nikon have also launched the online competition ’18Openimages’, in which golf fans are invited to vote for their favourite iconic golf images for the chance to win one of 72 prizes worth a combined £17,000.

Participants can enter via the web site, www.18openimages.com (the website will go live the week of The Open Championship), or visit the gallery of images exhibited at the event to log their vote. With so many memorable moments over the years, from Jack Nicklaus’s final goodbye on the Swilken Bridge to Tiger Woods’s victories in 2000 and 2005, what will win your vote?

Nikon will also be setting up a retail unit displaying all of the latest Nikon DSLR and COOLPIX cameras, with expert advisors on hand to help people looking for a camera to capture the stunning scenery and important moments of what promises to be a memorable Championship.

If you fancy yourself as a professional golfer, why not get a picture of yourself on location? You can choose either a shot of you holding the trophy high or you as a Caddie wearing a bib at the Nikon Photo Experience, in association with HSBC. Visitors can then take away a print as a memento of the day.

The Open Golf Championship is one of Nikon’s most significant worldwide sponsorships, having been a patron of the event since 1993. The company is committed to continuing its patronage until 2012 and beyond, ensuring a prominent brand presence at what remains one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar.

Commenting on Nikon’s ongoing sponsorship of The Open Championship, Jeremy Gilbert, Group Marketing manager at Nikon UK, said: “The Open Championship is the ideal platform to bring to life our brand message, ‘At the Heart of the Image’, by celebrating the iconic images that are captured at this prestigious event. We will be on hand to both support professional photographers with technical advice, and to engage with spectators by giving them the opportunity to participate in activities that will allow them to test their golfing skills and remember their experience of the event through images.”

Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered