Hollis Sponsorship Bulletin

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has added tennis equipment brand Babolat VS to its commercial programme in a three-year partnership deal.
As the Official Equipment Supplier to the LTA, Babolat will provide technical, product and stringing support across the organisation. The Babolat TEAM ball will now become the LTA’s Official Ball and will be used at all of the LTA’s major national tournaments.
Babolat and the LTA will also be working closely together to assist the club and county networks with their ball and equipment requirements.
Babolat has a long heritage in stringing services and, as well as being appointed the Official Stringer of the AEGON British Tennis Series, will also be offering support and advice to stringers and tournaments up and down the country.
As the top junior performance brand, Babolat has built relations with some of the world’s best players, including World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, recent French Open finalist Samantha Stosur and winner Francesca Schiavone.
Bruce Philipps, LTA Director of Communications and Commercial, commented: ” We are particularly looking forward to exploring how the brand’s widespread appeal to junior players can be used to help us increase the number of children competing and participating in our sport.”
The LTA launched its new commercial programme in May 2008 and in September 2008 AEGON, one of the UK’s leading financial services company, came on board as the first ever Lead Partner for British Tennis. Underpinning the Lead Partner are a series of Official Supporters including BNP Paribas, Highland Spring and recently Thomson Reuters. The LTA’s Official Suppliers include Nike, Lucozade Sport, IHG and now Babolat VS.

Aegon’s huge investment in British tennis was reinforced this week with the decision to add The Royal Albert Hall Masters to its tennis portfolio. The event, which features tennis legends such as Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, was launched in 1997 and takes place during every December.

Aegon burst onto the tennis scene last September when it signed a £30 million five year deal to become the first-ever lead partner of British Tennis. The new deal is also for 5 years and will see the event renamed as the Aegon Masters Tennis. Commenting on the deal, Aegon UK director of marketing Steve Clode, said: “Aegon’s partnership with British Tennis supports the sport at all levels, from grassroots development to major tournaments like the AEGON Championships at The Queen’s Club. The Masters celebrates the greatest champions of the sport and is a natural next step for us. Already this year our tennis activity has reinforced our brand credentials, and the AEGON Masters Tennis will enable us to continue this success.”

Having stumped up £30 millon over five years for its sponsorship of the Lawn Tennis Association, pensions company Aegon is ready to start making its assets sweat. Starting next month, it will run a tennis-based advertising campaign to coincide with its title sponsorship of the Queens Club tournament (previously held by Stella Artois).

Steve Clode, director of marketing and customer strategy at Aegon, said the main purpose of the campaign is to drive brand awareness. However it will also draw attention to the fact that Aegon is involved in the Great Britain Davis Cup team and the LTA’s various schools/community activities.

Meanwhile, Diageo wine brand Blossom Hill is preparing a campaign around its sponsorship of the Wimbledon tennis tournament. The campaign will involve sampling and various other forms of activity. For example, Wimbledon queues will be entertained with games such as table tennis.

Financial services company Aegon has been named as official sponsor of Great Britain’s Davis and Federation Cup teams in a five-year deal running from 2009 until 2013. The deal builds on last year’s deal which saw Aegon become the first ever Lead Partner of British Tennis.

A category conflict with International Tennis Federation sponsors initially prevented AEGON from securing rights to the teams. But this has now been resolved. Commenting on the deal, Aegon UK director of marketing Steve Clode said: “We are delighted that our involvement now reaches from helping schoolchildren pick up their first racket to those elite level players representing their country. Supporting the Federation Cup and Davis Cup teams will be a core part of Aegon’s partnership with British Tennis.”