Hublot demonstrates passion for football by profiling legendary moments

Karl-Heinz Rummenige photographed by Fred Merz for Hublot

Swiss watchmaker Hublot is reaffirming its love of soccer through a series of portraits of some of the game’s key players.

Tied to the brand’s partnership with the 2016 UEFA European Championship, the new Hublot Loves Football campaign asks the soccer stars, “What is Your Euro Moment?” As the self-described first luxury watchmaker to invest in soccer, this campaign enables Hublot to commemorate its 10-year affiliation with the sport and look forward to more collaborations.

“In a sporting era where players, coaches and sponsors in every league around the world are constantly on the move, reaching 10 years of steady dedication and support is admirable and noteworthy,” said Patrick Lorentz, strategy director at The O Group, New York. “It certainly doesn’t hurt that Hublot’s 10 years of sponsorship is attached to the world’s biggest and most popular sport.”

Mr. Lorentz is not affiliated with Hublot, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.

Hublot was unable to comment directly before press deadline.

Highlight reel
This campaign builds on a previous effort surrounding the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

In the weeks leading up to the start of the championship, Hublot embarked on a world tour, awarding local head coaches with timepieces, hosting events and debuting its “Official Watch” of the international soccer matches. As the official timekeeper of the World Cup, hosted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Hublot aimed to maintain retention in cities with a high concentration of soccer fans outside of the host city (see story).

Now, Hublot is demonstrating its continued commitment to soccer with a series of portraits capturing players, coaches and referees. Ten of these images were unveiled on March 18, coinciding with the watch show Baselworld in Basel, Switzerland.

Xherdan Shaqiri for Hublot

Each of the men who posed for photographer Fred Merz share their own highlight from a UEFA Euro competition, whether a victory or a goal, depicting them in their prime. Coach José Mourinho says that he has yet to experience his Euro highlight, while referee Nicola Rizzoli looked to the first game he ever presided over in the championships as his key moment.

Nicola Rizzoli for Hublot

A number of the campaign images captured in global locales, in an office, in a stadium or locker room are captioned by the players, who share their key moment in their own handwriting. Others depict the moment with text or symbolism.

Other pictured players include Britain’s coach Roy Hodgson, Spanish player and team manager Fernando Hierro, Swiss player Xherdan Shaqiri, German player and CEO of Bayern Munich Karl-Heinz Rummenige, former Portuguese player Luis Figo, former British player Rio Ferdinand, German player Lukas Podolski and former French international player and European Champion David Trezeguet.

Hublot Confirms its Leadership on Planet Football

For its third partnership with UEFA Euro, Hublot will have branded panels on the pitches, which the referees can use to show extra time or player switches. Hublot creates a bespoke set of panels for each major soccer event, basing the designs off the style of competition.

Hublot will reveal the look for UEFA Euro 2016 on June 10.

“The concept leverages the idea of moments in time, but in a way that should resonate with passionate fans,” Mr. Lorentz said. “There are specific football moments that will live on forever – not just for the players, coaches and referees, but for the fans as well.

“By highlighting these moments delivered by legends of the game, Hublot is creating a connection between the past and today, and between players and fans,” he said. “Rather than simply being a timekeeper, Hublot is elevated in the eyes of football fans through its use of nostalgia.”

Soccer fan
Hublot’s ties to football can be traced to Jean-Claude Biver, the brand’s chairman and the CEO of LVMH’s watch division, who decided to place the watchmaker where potential consumers would be. Hublot became the official timekeeper of UEFA Euro in 2008, and became the first ever official timekeeper for the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

The watchmaker began drawing attention to its position as official timekeeper and official watch of the FIFA World Cup with with the debut of a large scale countdown clock last September.

Unveiled exactly 1,000 days before the tournament, the display in Moscow’s Manezhnaya Square features a Hublot clock which will tick down the minutes until the competition begins. Having a placement aside from the scoreboards at the stadium will reinforce the brand’s attachment to the event (see story).

Hublot’s relationship to the game goes beyond international competitions.

The brand also looked to gain recognition among soccer fans through its position as official watch and timekeeper for the Chelsea Football Club.

Through this partnership, officially announced at the first game of the season for the reigning English Premier League champions in August 2015, Hublot will have placement on the LED scoreboards as well as through clocks placed around their home Stamford Bridge stadium. Hublot picked the partnership as a way to showcase their shared values of a passion for their craft and a dedication to quality and perfection (see story).

“Hublot can only continue to grow through its relationship with the beautiful game,” Mr. Lorentz said. “Millions – if not billions – of fans around the world will continue to be exposed to the brand.

“Hublot will be a part of stories, plays and moments that will be shared and debated in pubs, on fields and in homes around the world for years to come.”

from Jewelry – Luxury Daily http://www.luxurydaily.com/hublot-demonstrates-passion-for-football-by-profiling-legendary-moments/
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