Shimano New Zealand’s partnership with Subaru New Zealand for their summer road promotion, “Last Wheel Rolling”, has seen the North Shore’s Charles Oram receive a Subaru XV Sport as the first prize.
As the lucky winner, he was officially presented with the stylish, compact SUV by representatives of the two brands today at the North Shore Winger Subaru Authorised Centre.
Shimano New Zealand's General Manager Ben Ashby says: “It has been a pleasure to partner with Subaru for Shimano’s first Last Wheel Rolling competition. We were thrilled to announce Charles as the winner, and we are sure he can’t wait to get out travelling to cycling events in his new Subaru XV Sport.”
Shimano is recognised as a leading fishing, cycling gear and accessories brand and had set up entry to the nationwide promotion when customers spent over $50 in store on Shimano product, which put them in the draw to win one of three top prizes. The Last Wheel Rolling promotion ran between 1st October 2019 and 1st March 2020.
When Shimano approached Subaru with the opportunity to partner on the Last Wheel Rolling promotion, it was a “no-brainer” to accept, Subaru’s National Marketing Manager Daile Stephens says.
“Kiwis are do-ers, and Subaru is the perfect accessory for those who lead an active lifestyle. One of the main hobbies identified by Subaru drivers is cycling, therefore the partnership was a natural fit. Subaru’s All-Wheel-Drive technology naturally appeals to cyclists, given it enables them transport their bikes safely and in style.”
Mr Ashby says: “The XV holds a huge amount of appeal for mountain and road cyclists - from both a performance and practical point of view. It’s a great looking car with some excellent functionality and I’m sure it made a strong impression on many of our customers as it worked its way down the country, visiting as many Shimano stockists as possible over summer.”
The original plan was to undertake a live draw with the ten finalists at Mangawhai Heads in late March but due to the COVID-19 developments, Shimano made the decision to cancel the trip to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the finalists and their team.
Before New Zealand moved to level 3 and 4 in March, the Shimano team made the final draw which was announced on the Shimano Road and Shimano MTB Facebook pages. They kept the concept of the draw the same, removing a number that represented a finalist, one by one, until they reached the last number, which decided who was the Subaru XV Sport winner.
Mr Oram was watching the live draw on Facebook and his hopes soared as his number was not drawn out early on.
“I thought, woah, I’ve got a chance here,” he says.
A huge “yahoo” yell was his first reaction when his was the final number to be drawn - earning him the Subaru XV Sport.
The order of Mr Oram’s priorities were to share the news with his wife, then start researching roof rack options to get his road bike on the Subaru XV’s roof. Next on the list is planning a South Island road trip in his new wheels, with his professional cyclist son James Oram.
Mr Oram thanked both brands for his Subaru XV at the presentation today.
“It’s fantastic. Thanks for such a great car!”
Mrs Stephens says the Subaru team were excited about awarding Charles with a new Subaru XV and “we trust it will be the perfect accessory for his cycling endeavours!”
“Thanks to Shimano for initiating the Last Wheel Rolling promotion - it certainly feels fantastic to make someone’s day, particularly in the current climate. We welcome Charles to the Subaru family and hope he enjoys many adventures in his new SUV.”
To find out more about Subaru’s XV visit subaru.co.nz/showroom/xv and to check out Subaru’s about-to-arrive in New Zealand e-Boxer Hybrid XV visit subaru.co.nz/eboxer.
Catherine Pattison
Public Relations
Subaru of New Zealand
M +64 (0)27 44 55 389
E catherine.pattison@subaru.co.nz
subaru.co.nz