April 29, 2005 - When 'Big Papi' rips a home run over the Green Monster at Fenway Park this season, photos of the blast and ecstatic fan reactions will be captured by Nikon digital cameras. This week, Nikon announced a partnership with the defending World Series Champions, becoming the official camera of the Boston Red Sox.
"Nikon is proud to partner with the World Champions of baseball, the Boston Red Sox," said Anna Marie Bakker, general manager of Communications for Nikon Inc. "After a season of amazing memories, Nikon is excited to serve as the team's official camera, as thousands of new memories will be captured this season with Nikon cameras throughout Fenway Park."
In addition to branding and banner placement around Fenway, Nikon will also become the title sponsor for FanFoto - a service that takes digital pictures of fans throughout the stadium and concourses. FanFoto photographers will hand out Nikon “game tickets” with the date, URL and gallery number for fans to find their pics online. The Red Sox will also be expanding the service to pre-game parties, luxury suites and VIP events, according to a Nikon press release. Every nook and cranny of the 104 year-old ballpark will be utilized by Nikon to display the quality and spectrum of the products they offer.
"We are thrilled that Nikon has joined our family of corporate partners," said Sam Kennedy, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the Boston Red Sox. "We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Nikon."
Professional photographers will also benefit from the Nikon partnership, upon the camera maker’s creation of “The Nikon Darkroom in Fenway Park.” According to the company's press release, the Nikon Darkroom will serve as a 'locker room' for professional photographers shooting home games. Working photographers will be able to utilize the Nikon Darkroom to store equipment, download photos, or as work space on game day.
