"But the sponsorships also provide benefits on a grass-roots level - and that is very important in a country like New Zealand," he says.
"Many New Zealanders go by what they see on the roads or trust word-of-mouth recommendations more than anything else.
"So while it's great we're seen on television or at the grounds backing the teams, with the players and coaches actually driving Ford vehicles, they are brand ambassadors on a day-to-day basis."
The All Blacks usually choose a Falcon, Mondeo or Ranger ute and keep their vehicles for about 6000 to 10,000km before they return them to the company to sell at Ford dealerships throughout the country.
"Sorry, but we can't say which one was driven by Dan Carter or Richie McCaw," jokes Masterson.
Another famous sporting partnership is between Toyota New Zealand and Team New Zealand; the car company became a major sponsor in 1992 and that relationship continues today.
Also on the water, Toyota sponsors the Optimist New Zealand National Championships for budding Dean Barkers and Grant Daltons.
Another water connection is between Hyundai New Zealand and our rowers.
The company is in partnership with world-champion rowers Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown, as well as silver medallists Storm Uru and Peter Taylor.
Hyundai sponsors a huge variety of sportspeople - just about enough to have its own Olympic team.
The company picks its athletes through its Pinnacle programme, which supports athletes for 12-24 months with the aim of winning a world title or equivalent at the end of that time frame.
"The mentoring specifically concentrates on the development of personal, professional and organisation skills, essential in providing the mental edge necessary for champion athletes," says Hyundai New Zealand's chief operating officer, Tom Ruddenklau.
Included in the current programme are rowers Haigh and Scown, plus Warriors player Elijah Taylor.
Graduates from the programme include Commonwealth Games gold medallist swimmer Moss Burmester, triathlete Debbie Tanner, wakeboarder Andrea Fountain and distance runner Kate McIlroy.
Hyundai also directly sponsors programme graduates - Andrew Murdoch, ranked world No2 in Olympic Lasers, Paralympic skiing gold medallist Adam Hall, plus Uru and Taylor, who each drive a Santa Fe with roof racks to take their equipment.
Murdoch has an ix35 with a tow bar for his laser trailer, while Taylor has an i45.
The reason the company supports such a diverse range of athletes is simple - it wants to back New Zealanders.
"We're a locally owned and operated business and we're successful thanks to New Zealanders putting their trust in Hyundai. So it's important to give back," says Ruddenklau.
And like Ford New Zealand, when the athletes are finished with the vehicles, they are sold as demonstrators.
"We're sure that some customers are pleased to know that they own a car driven by a world champion," says Ruddenklau.
Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand is also involved with world champions through its sponsorship of the New Zealand Olympic Committee and Paralympics NZ.
Mitsubishi supplies four vehicles to the Auckland head office of the Paralympics organisation, and in Wellington the car company supplies five vehicles to Olympic committee staff members.
Mitsubishi also helped design a new logo for Paralympics NZ, and the company has Paralympians speak at its events.
And while it's the athletes who take home the medals - and hopefully the Webb Ellis Cup on October 23 - the car company sponsors can say they had a part in a New Zealand victory.
