Brand marketing and NASCAR: Johnson's success pays huge dividends for Lowe's

What exactly has five-time Sprint Cup winner Jimmie Johnson delivered in his sponsor partnership with Lowe's?  Apparently, a lot, reports this NASCAR.com story. Until now, I haven't been able to find too many good stories about sponsorships and brand impact. It's really worth a read if you are a brand marketing fan. I'm not a huge JJ fan (go #22 KuBu!), but I can appreciate what they've been able to accomplish in such a short period of time, race-wise and business-wise.

"This week, Johnson begins his run at a sixth consecutive Sprint Cup championship. His success has given Lowe's more than a mere winner. He also has provided a high profile and consistent marketing platform that allowed the company to build a database of more than 1 million fans, amass more than $130 million in media exposure in only four years and run a series of signature promotions that helped Lowe's launch its own line of tools and evolve from a regional retailer to a national chain"
Johnson's success pays huge dividends for Lowe's - NASCAR.com