Hublot is the official timekeepr of the 2011 FIS Alpine World Ski Championship
Hublot, the official timekeeper of the 2011 FIS Alpine World Ski Championship, hopes to build brand awareness through the televised event.
The annual competition is in its 41st year and is airing Feb. 7-20. It is hosted by the International Ski Federation (FIS), and is held this year in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
“Skiing is a sport that is doing a great comeback and we love being associated very early in these types of comebacks,” said Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of Hublot, Geneva, Switzerland. “Even if we are not interested in all the ski events, we believe that being the official timekeeper of the most important ski competition is an extraordinary asset for Hublot and its visibility on TV.”
The FIS is held every odd year, opposite of the winter Olympics.
Audi is also a sponsor of this competition.
Hublot’s role
The FIS championships showcase the world’s top ski champions from countries around the world such as Germany, Austria, China and the United States.
The globally televised event will undoubtedly increase brand presence, especially for sports enthusiasts. The brand will not have TV commercials airing during the championships.
Hubot is already the sponsor of world champions Dario Cologna from Switzerland and Bode Miller from the United States.
Hublot ambassador Bode Miller at the 2011 FIS Alpine Championships
The brand has extended its relationship to Maria Riesch, currently No. 1 in the World Cup classification and from Garmisch.
Maria Riesch’s Hublot advertisement
“She is German and one of, if not the most successful skiers, and she comes from Garmisch,” Mr. Biver said. “We expect her to win three if not four Gold Medals in her home village.”
The brand has unveiled a white Aero Bang Garmisch model to mark the partnership with Ms. Riesch.
Aero Bang Garmisch model
Hublot’s sponsorship also includes visibility in the Swiss-Ski House, the meeting point for all those who attend the championships, including athletes, trainers, sponsors, journalists and fans.
Hublot is advertising its sponsorship, as well as some of the events and statistics, on its Web site and Facebook page.
Hublot’s Facebook page
Hublot as a sponsor
The brand has already sponsored a number of televised events, including the FIFA World Cup, the chef competition Bocus D’Or 2011 and the Snow Polo Masters.
Hublot’s sponsorship of talented athletes around the world has also shed light on the brand among its target demographics.
Futhermore, the brand has already made plans to sponsor more sporting events in the next few years, in order to keep a constant TV presence.
“We believe that we will have a great visibility during the FIS Ski Alpine and Nordic WM [Ski World Championships] in 2011, 2013 and 2015,” Mr. Biver said. “If you consider TV coverage for Hublot starting in 2010, we have had FIFA World Cup 2010, followed by FIS in 2011, [Union of European Football Associations] EURO in 2012, FIS WM in 2013, FIFA World Cup in 2014, FIS WM in 2015 and EURO in 2016.
“You can see that each year, we will have had a constant and important presence on TV,” he said.
Final Take
Hublot sponsor Maria Riesch in a competition earlier this year
Rachel Lamb is an editorial assistant at Luxury Daily. Reach her at rachel@napean.com.