Might Naomi Osaka be Asia’s next super star sports endorser?
Nissan are betting that she will!
Following her maiden Grand Slam winning performance in New York, mid September saw the Japanese car giant roll out a staged campaign introducing the women’s tennis star as the latest member of its sports ambassador stable.
Nissan was the first major global brand to pen a global endorser partnership with the 20-year-old Japanese tennis starlet with a deal reported to be worth more than US$1m per year.
The newest women’s Grand Slam champ was unveiled as a Nissan brand ambassador on 17 September in a major PR event at Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama – in what was one of Osaka’s first appearances in Japan since winning the title on 8 September.
The PR jamboree was amplified online with film and supporting content.
Just days after her first Grand Slam championship, #Nissan has named 20-year-old tennis player @Naomi_Osaka_ its newest brand ambassador. Full story: https://t.co/r7CMN34yfF pic.twitter.com/DAvRl2T9sI
— Nissan (@Nissan) September 17, 2018
This was followed by an ‘Event Movie’ in Japanese posted on the same date.
The deal will see Osaka appear in global promotions and advertising for Nissan around the world, while Nissan will support her activities as a tennis player (partly by providing her with Nissan vehicles at her tour destinations).
Comment:
With powerful groundstrokes and a strong serve to match, Osaka became the first Japanese player to win a women’s singles Grand Slam in the first week of September.
Born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a Haitian-American father, Osaka moved to the USA when she was 3 years old, but competes for Japan.
Following her US Open win over Serena Williams, young tennis sensation Osaka could well be set to be an Asian marketing magnet and a home-grown hero to front marketing work around Tokyo 2020.
After all, tennis is popular with sponsors in Japan – with plenty of brands already backing men’s star Kei Nishikori to a tune of US$33m.
Japanese auto giant Nissan certainly thinks so.
And the car company isn’t alone.
As well as Nissan, Osaka also has deals with other Japanese brands such as Citizen Watches,
pay-TV channel Wowow (the official broadcaster for all Grand Slams in Japan)
plus equipment partner Yonex,
a footwear deal with Adidas,
Rising star. Naomi Osaka is aiming for the top at #RG16. #CreateYourMark pic.twitter.com/7xngl5nedg
— adidas tennis (@adidastennis) May 25, 2016
and noodle brand Nissin.
Links:
Nissan
https://plus.google.com/+Nissan
https://www.facebook.com/nissan
https://twitter.com/nissanmotor
https://www.instagram.com/nissan/
https://www.youtube.com/nissan
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIpK0Bh0wFnC-QqgJs6hx5w/featured
https://www.linkedin.com/company/niss…
