As the curtains go up at the world’s biggest and much
awaited Tennis Championship, Wimbledon on July 3, 2017, I thought it would be
interesting to share some marketing and advertising trivia about this mega
sporting event. What better way to begin
that with some significant brand associations with Wimbledon?
So, in order of the length of association with The
Championships, here goes…
1. Slazenger
Slazenger
is the official supplier of tennis balls at The Championships and has scripted
its own bit of sporting goods history; as the official supplier of tennis balls
to The Championships
since 1902, theirs is a long standing partnership.
Slazenger works with top sports scientists at Loughborough
University to ensure that the balls are in keeping with The All England Lawn
Tennis Club's standards. This year, Slazenger will supply 52,000 balls to the
tournament, each of which will be subjected to rigorous testing with regard to
the right weight, bounce and compression.
2. Robinsons
The
Official soft drink, Robinsons Squash- the iconic Lemon Barley Water has been quenching
the thirst of all the players since 1935.
Fresh fruit and high quality ingredients in the squash have been an
intrinsic part of this long association.
3.
Lanson
Associated with
Wimbledon since 1977, in recent years Lanson has been selected as the Official
Supplier of Champagne to The Championships. Available in all the nine bars and
hospitality marquees in the grounds makes it is very much a part of the
"Wimbledon experience".
4. Rolex
A
premium watch brand, Rolex, the official timekeeper at Wimbledon since 1978,
has built a strong brand presence sans an in your face approach by providing a
useful service quietly. The only places
we see Rolex logos? On clocks around the venue and on official scoreboards, a
lesson in forging a subtle yet strong brand association.
5.
IBM
Since 1990, IBM has been enabling the All
England Lawn Tennis Club and The Championships to become the world’s
premiere tennis tournament. Providing real time match statistics and crafting
mobile and digital solutions, IBM has been instrumental in making the event
“social”.
6.
Ralph
Lauren
Since 2006, Polo Ralph
Lauren, the first designer in the history
of The Championships to partner with The All England Lawn Tennis Club has been
the official outfitter to all Wimbledon on-court officials like chair and line
umpires and ball persons. If you’re at Wimbledon, the Polo Ralph Lauren
Wimbledon Collection for men, women and children is available at The Centre
Court Shop (Wimbledon).
7.
HSBC
The Official Bank since
2008, HSBC is responsible for providing the onsite banking services to the
public, players, and retailers. It sponsors The HSBC Road to Wimbledon National
14 and Under Challenge.
8.
Evian
Ensuring that players
and spectators stay refreshed since 2008, Evian has been chosen as the Official
Water of The Championships, Wimbledon.
9.
Lavazza
Lavazza has been
providing the freshest brew of Italian espresso at The Championships since 2011.
10.
Stella
Artois
Stella Artois, UK’s
premium beer brand is the official beer of Wimbledon since 2014.
11.
Jaguar
Land Rover
Tournament operations
of this mega event must be reliable and dependable; this is where Jaguar Land Rover
came in as the Official car in 2015. The
brand is expected to provide 170 luxury and high performance vehicles will support
tournament operations. Aside from the new Jaguar XE and XF, the XF Sportbrake
and XJ models will be seen in London at this year’s Championships.
12.
Häagen-Dazs
Since 2016, Häagen-Dazs
is the Official Ice Cream of Wimbledon enabling spectators to enjoy the best
sporting moments while indulging in its flavorful ice cream.
13.
Pimm's
- Official Partner (2017)
Established in 1840 by
James Pimm in his famous Oyster Bar in London, Pimm’s is the one of the most
recent brands to partner with Wimbledon.
That was a summary of the Official Suppliers to
Wimbledon. While the players gear up for
some action on the court, these brands provide support and establish a strong
brand presence.
