DETROIT, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Golfer Tiger Woods has renewed his deal to promote Buick cars and trucks, General Motors Corp. said on Wednesday, as the automaker geared up to spend $3 billion to rejuvenate the flagging brand.
Terms of the five-year deal were not disclosed. GM said Woods will continue to appear in all aspects of Buick's marketing programs as the company rolls out new vehicles, including two new models later this year.
"I've had fun with Buick, and their marketing has made available a side of me that people don't normally see," Woods said in a statement. "I think that's been beneficial for me and for Buick."
"Tiger has been an invaluable asset to Buick across the marketing spectrum," Buick General Manager CJ Fraleigh said in a statement.
Woods has been featured in Buick's advertising and marketing since 1999.
One hundred-year old Buick was once one of the premier U.S. car brands, but its sales and influence has declined in recent decades as quality deteriorated and consumers tastes shifted to foreign cars.
GM plans to spend $3 billion on the next five years on new vehicles for Buick, possibly including a rear-wheel drive sedan and a convertible.
GM hopes that its investment in Buick will prove as successful as its rejuvenated Cadillac brand, which has been revived with a new cutting-edge look and advertising featuring Led Zeppelin's 1971 hit song "Rock and Roll".
Buick's U.S. sales fell 22 percent last year while Cadillac sales rose 8.2 percent.
GM executives have said that future Buicks will offer the refinement of a Lexus, the luxury vehicle brand of Toyota Motor Corp. , but at a lower price.
The Buick LaCrosse mid-size sedan, a replacement for the aging Buick Regal and Buick Century sedans, and the Buick Terraza minivan go on sale later this year.