Düsseldorf – Henkel will be a prominent name at the men’s 72nd World Ice Hockey Championship in Canada from May 2 through to May 18, 2008. The competition involves 16 national teams competing with one another in Halifax and Québec City. This year, Henkel will be represented on the hoardings by not only its corporate brand but also the product brands Purex (Laundry Care) and Right Guard (Cosmetics). On view behind the players’ benches, Henkel’s exclusively Canadian brand Le Page (Adhesives) will be particularly closely associated with the fan’s idols.

Last year marked Henkel’s first sponsorship of the International Ice Hockey Federation when it supported the men’s World Championship in Russia. Ice hockey is particularly popular – and widely played – in countries such as record world champions Canada, in Russia and the USA, in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and also the Nordic countries, especially Sweden and Finland, not to mention in Germany.

The Ice Hockey World Championship is currently Henkel’s most internationally aligned sponsorship. The wide interest generated among fans throughout the world makes this sport particularly attractive for Henkel. In line with the company’s sponsoring strategy, it offers an excellent platform for increasing the awareness of the Henkel corporate brand and further expanding Henkel’s prominence, especially in North America this time around. Hence, the product brands Purex, Right Guard and Le Page, well known in North America particularly, are appearing in an important supportive role.

For many years now, Henkel has been involved in a range of sporting events at national and international level. International sporting events that this brand marketer has put its name to include the World Handball Championship and the Beach Volley Ball Grand Slam Tournaments in Paris and Klagenfurt (Austria).

With the Henkel Smile corporate sponsorship program, Henkel also regularly supports projects, organizations and initiatives in the sporting arena. This year, for example, Henkel donated 15,000 euros to the Canadian aid program KidSport™. The program was established in 1993 in order to enable financially disadvantaged children to participate in organized sporting events. To date, KidSport™ has helped more than 50,000 children in this way.

For more than 130 years, Henkel has been a leader with brands and technologies that make people's lives easier, better and more beautiful.  Henkel operates in three business areas – Home Care, Personal Care, and Adhesives Technologies – and ranks among the Fortune Global 500 companies. In fiscal 2007, Henkel generated sales of 13,074 billion euros and operating profit of 1,344 million euros. Our 58,000 employees worldwide are dedicated to fulfilling our corporate claim, "A Brand like a Friend," and ensuring that people in more than 125 countries can trust in brands and technologies from Henkel.