Laver Cup Sponsors Highlights
Fans, friends, and family paid an emotional tribute to Roger Federer on Friday night in the final competitive match of his career at the O2 Arena. Alongside the tributes from around the world of sport, the opportunity was also marked by several brands who, over the last decade, have become synonymous with the Swiss tennis star. In this article, we take a look at the Laver Cup sponsors highlights and notable activations from the tournament’s commercial partners.
Rolex
Rolex paid the most fitting tribute of the night. Instead of focusing solely on the number of titles, the Swiss watchmaker encapsulated all that Federer has and continues to give to the sport with a message of thanks.
“Our heartfelt gratitude to Roger Federer for his impact on the world of sports and for making tennis perpetual.”
This short video shown at regular changeover intervals during the match has raked up nearly 2.5 million views on YouTube and hundreds of thousands of likes in the last ten days.
Rolex also benefited from prominent logo placement around the event and provided the official time-keeping clock on the court.
Mercedes
There is something about the Mercedes logo that allows it to blend so effortlessly into the very fabric of the on-court net. A long-term Roger Federer partner and a regular tennis sponsor, fans are familiar with seeing the German carmaker’s logo displayed prominently. However, what makes an event like the Laver Cup so valuable is the space afforded for product placement.
Arriving at the O2 Arena, fans were greeted by two Mercedes EQs at the exit of North Greenwich station. This product placement was reinforced with a third Mercedes electric vehicle at the entrance of the O2 Arena itself.
In addition to the effective product and logo placement, Mercedes also ran a series of eye-catching indents at regular changeovers throughout the match and a pre-match interview. The final nod to the brand’s partnership with Federer comes in the form of an AMG GT 4, which the company painted in a tennis ball yellow.
Credit Suisse
Like Rolex and Mercedes, the Credit Suisse logo was prominently displayed around the event as a Global Partner of the event. The Swiss wealth manager has a long history of working with Roger Federer. The partnership remains one of the finest examples of brand ambassadorship. See our article, The brand ambassadors checklist, to find out why.
The campaign used the hashtag attitude never retires. A nice nod to Federer's personality that incorporates one of the company's most important services, retirement planning. With such a long and successful partnership it was slightly disappointing that Credit Suisse could only muster a 20 second clip most of which was filled with generic commentary and corporate promotion. The video message below felt generic especially when compared to the heartfelt emotional tributes of Rolex and Moët. Take a look and judge for yourself.
Champions retire, their attitude doesn’t.
We have been a proud partner of @rogerfederer for over a decade and are looking forward to many more great years to come. Simply because #AttitudeNeverRetires pic.twitter.com/2tkdrDaQl9— Credit Suisse (@CreditSuisse) September 16, 2022
In addition to the above mentioned signage and video, the brand used several small and low-cost activation techniques to promote the partnership further. Firstly, by presenting the ‘shot of the day’ across the Laver Cup social channels. Secondly, the company randomly selected two fans and gifted them courtside seats courtesy of Credit Suisse. A small act of kindness improved the fan’s enjoyment of the event and showed the brand’s softer side. Read our article on fan engagement by sponsors.
Moët & Chandon
Although not a top-tier partner, Moët & Chandon deserves special recognition for their efforts. The brand created an online campaign around Federer’s last competitive match using #ToastToRoger.
Accompanying the campaign was the below video featuring toasts from sporting and fashion icons. The final toast comes from Roger’s mother and demonstrates just how well the champagne brand managed to capture the emotion of the occasion.
Moët's final gift to Roger was that for every #ToastToRoger message the brand committed to making a donation to the Roger Federer Foundation.
Supporting Partners Round-up
The fan zone outside of the O2 Arena played host to a number of activations. Highlights included Visit Switzerland's interactive race through the Alps. The healthcare provider Clevland Clinic allowed fans to measure their serve while UPS, which had a continual brand presence on the court, and showed their special delivery of the stylish all-black Laver Cup court.
Welsh mineral water company TŷNant sponsored the event for the first time generating brand awareness with effective logo placement. Meanwhile sports equipment manufacturer, Head, gave a fan a goody bag of tennis equipment for answering a question on the big screen.
Uniqlo, Jura and On Running all had a presence inside the arena and in the fan zone.
Sponsor of the event: Rolex
The Laver Cup sponsorship highlights show Credit Suisse failed to take advantage of the opportunity to highlight their long-standing brand association with Roger Federer. Moët & Chandon, and Mercedes both activated their rights comprehensively and successfully. It was Rolex, however, who judged the moment perfectly, providing a fitting tribute to a man who, in the words of the Swiss watchmaker, is a tennis legend.
Laver Cup List of Sponsors
With Service Now recently announced as a new sponsor for the 2023 Laver Cup in Vancouver, here is a complete list of the London 2022 partners.
Founding Partner
Global Sponsors
Global Suppliers
Event Sponsor
