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Kiwis in 16 locations around the country will have the chance to show their support for New Zealand's America's Cup challenge by signing two replica America's Cup AC72 catamaran dagger boards as they tour New Zealand over the next three weeks.
Toyota together with Emirates Team New Zealand have built two replica dagger boards to tour New Zealand from late June. The tour will give Kiwis the chance to sign these boards and send the team their best wishes.Fans will also have the opportunity to show their support to the team in official 'Lean with us' photos which will be uploaded to www.leanwithus.co.nz.
The itinerary for the Toyota 'Lean with us' tour was announced today. Stops will include towns and cities from Queenstown in the south to Whangarei in the north. The tour runs from June 24 to July 12.
Toyota General Manager of Marketing Neeraj Lala said one of the most innovative components of Emirates Team New Zealand's giant AC72 catamaran are the dagger boards or foils and these are central to Toyota's 'Lean with us' campaign.
"When the dagger boards are covered with the best wishes from people around the country, we will deliver them to the team in San Francisco. They will sit proudly at the base and remind the team every day that New Zealand is fully behind them," Mr Lala said.
He says the nationwide tour is part of a wider campaign which is focused on generating nationwide support for Grant Dalton and the Emirates Team New Zealand crew as they gear up for the challenge in San Francisco.
"The campaign we have created is called 'Lean with us', and its overall aim is to bring New Zealand together and get behind Emirates Team New Zealand in a way that is fun and appeals to all Kiwis," Mr Lala said."'Lean with us' is a play on our boats' ability to foil at spectacular speeds.We've taken the simple concept of 'leaning' (the first step towards foiling), which is fun and will appeal to all ages, and turned it into a way for Kiwis everywhere to show their support for the team."
Emirates Team New Zealand Managing Director Grant Dalton is already a fan of the 'Lean with us' campaign. He's urging Kiwis to get into it and show their support for the team as they face their biggest challenge.
"When we go out on the water to race, there is nothing that will spur the guys on more than knowing they have huge support back home. It's no coincidence that our greatest America's Cup successes over the years have come on the back of nationwide support from Kiwis and that's what will make the difference in 2013. This challenge is tougher than ever before so we need New Zealand to 'Lean with us' and help us make the boat go faster."
In addition to the nationwide tour, Kiwis will be able to participate in 'Lean with us' through an online competition that will invite people to submit their best leaning photo, share the photo with friends and family but ultimately show their support for Emirates Team New Zealand. A lucky winner and their partner will join the team in San Francisco for some close up action.
"We will use social media to connect Kiwis to all the live action in San Francisco and help make everybody feel that they are part of the action," Mr Lala said.
"Toyota has a rich and proud history with Emirates Team New Zealand which now spans 21 years," he said. "As Kiwis we are believers. We believe that if you can dream it you can do it, and that's why we're supporting this team. This is the opportunity for the whole country to get behind the team and bring the cup home."
The Toyota 'Lean with us' tour is supported by The Radio Network and The Warehouse.
The full itinerary for the tour is as follows.
DateCity / TownVenueTime
For more information visit www.leanwithus.co.nz