Audi and Prada – Two Strong Brands, One Clear Line

Two strong brands are now joining forces in pooling their creative resources: in respect of design, innovation and tradition, Audi and Prada both occupy a pioneering role in their respective industries. The two companies now aim to combine these strengths in joint projects in the areas of sport and culture, for which they will adopt a new approach.

The first occasion where the two brands will be joining forces is a sporting event in February 2009. The jointly sponsored yacht “Luna Rossa” will be taking part in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, with the mainsail and team uniform displaying the Audi and Prada brand logos. The common message is that beneath the aesthetically attractive, dynamic exterior of a yacht, there lies state-of-the-art technology, and only choice materials are used. The products of Prada and Audi reflect such standards in equal measure – both brands are the embodiment of exclusive materials and craftsmanship. This is the start of a series of projects in the field of sport and cultural sponsorship.

Audi and Prada concur that whether in the world of fashion or cars, luxury stems from good design and superlative standards of quality. Both companies use only materials of the highest calibre in their products, often tailored to the individual requirements of the customer. Both brands are able to look back on a lengthy tradition, while repeatedly demonstrating their prowess as progressive trendsetters. Against this backdrop, the two companies are planning to work together this year: “Audi and Prada are strong brands. We aim to pool these strengths and build up a long-term partnership,” explained Peter Schwarzenbauer, AUDI AG Board of Management Member for Marketing and Sales. “We hope that this partnership will result in top-class projects.”

There is a long tradition of cultural involvement at Audi, and it occupies a central role in the corporate philosophy. Prada’s position is similar: in 1995 the Italian company set up the Fondazione Prada, a foundation to promote contemporary artists, architects, filmmakers and philosophers. 1995 was also the year in which Audi stepped up its cultural involvement and became principal sponsor of the Salzburg Festival. Audi supports and initiates an array of regional activities involving sponsorship of art and culture, but also takes on major projects such as productions by the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. Hand in hand with Prada, Audi aims to step up these activities in a wide range of ways.

Sailing is the latest addition to AUDI AG’s extensive portfolio of sporting activities. Audi has been premium sponsor of the TP 52 Breitling MedCup since 2007, and it was renamed the Audi MedCup in 2008. Now it’s time for the German-Italian partnership to cast off in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.

AUDI AG sold a total of 1,003,400 cars in 2008 and thus achieved its thirteenth consecutive record year. Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Györ (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). Aurangabad in India saw the start of local production of the Audi A6 at the end of 2007 and of the Audi A4 in early October 2008. The company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide. AUDI AG’s wholly owned subsidiaries include Automobili Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. in Sant’Agata Bolognese (Italy) and quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm. Audi currently employs around 57,000 people worldwide, including 45,000 in Germany. The brand with the four rings invests more than €2 billion each year in order to sustain the company’s technological lead embodied in its “Vorsprung durch Technik” slogan. Audi plans to significantly increase the number of models in its portfolio by 2015 to 40. The Audi brand celebrates its 100th birthday in 2009. The company was founded by August Horch in Zwickau on July 16, 1909; he named it Audi after the Latin translation of his surname (“hark!”).

AUDI AG will present the complete results for the 2008 business year at its Annual Press Conference on March 10, 2009 in Ingolstadt.