Hublot's cricket watch
Swiss watchmaker Hublot is integrating into the world of cricket as the official timekeeper of the ICC Cricket World Cup.
Cricket attracts attention from fans all around the world and with this partnership, Hublot is establishing itself in a similar, global, manner. As one of the first luxury brands to sponsor the sport, Hublot is likely to gain fan appreciation throughout the season and world cup event.
“With over 2.2 billion television viewers across 200 countries following cricket religiously, Hublot’s presence and investment in the sport is brilliant and timely,” said Sophie Terrisse, CEO of STC Associates, New York.
“Cricket not only has a rare legacy of elegance and exclusivity, perfectly aligning with the aspirations of watch connoisseurs in India and internationally, but the sport and its culture have been steadily climbing in interest and mind share globally,” she said.
Ms. Terrisse is not affiliated with Hublot, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Hublot was unable to comment by press deadline.
Athletic watches
To launch this collaboration, Hublot hosted two events, one in New Delhi and the other in Sydney. Both announced with appointment of the watch brand as the official timekeeper and named ambassadors for the brand.
Hublot watch presentation
Harbhajan Singh is the champion ambassador of Hublot and took part in the brand’s “Bowl for a Million Rupee Charity Challenge” as an initiative to raise money for charity. Michael Clarke, the batsman for the Australian national team was announced as a Hublot ambassador and will be in the brand’s new advertising campaign about Hublot and the Art of Fusion.
Harbhajan Singh with ICC and Hublot Executives
The watchmaker was the first luxury watch brand to embrace American football through the creation of themed timepieces.
Hublot created themed timepieces for its partnership with the Dallas Cowboys and will likely attract serious fans of the team. The partnership will add to Hublolt’s involvement in professional athletics and will likely direct a slightly different sporting audience toward the brand’s products (see story).
Also, Hublot has been present in the world of football and this past summer strengthened its connection to the world of soccer through its international “Hublot Loves Football” campaign in the weeks leading up to the start of the FIFA World Cup June 12.
The global tour took Hublot from country-to-country where the watchmaker awarded 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).
Hublot’s involvement in sports will only be further increased both athletically and globally through this emergence into cricket.
Sports mania
Cricket is one of the most internationally watched sports, so being a part of it, especially during its world cup, is logical. Other brands have tagged on to major sporting events in opportune times.
For instance, Swiss watchmaker Longines furthered its relationship with the world of equestrian sports by becoming the official timekeeper and watch of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
The watchmaker was also be the title partner of the Breeder’s Cup’s two primary events, the Cup Distaff race on Oct. 31 and the Cup Turf on Nov. 1. The Breeders’ Cup was still in the early stages of expansion, so securing an early partnership with the organization will pay off in the years to come (see story).
Also, the Super Bowl visited the New York region for the first time and luxury hotels did not idly wait for the traffic to come to them.
The St. Regis New York promised a civilized celebration, Langham Place Fifth Avenue enlisted National Football League players to host an event and Trump SoHo had Denver Bronco or Seattle Seahawk festooned penthouse rooms. Other hotels were simply looking to provide reliable sleeping accommodations, understanding that guests may want to be out and about during the big day (see story).
Creating a special-edition or unique package for a sporting event can help the brand’s name and connection with the sport resonate with consumers.
“The new model is an intelligent introduction to Swiss watchmaking for new comers who may love the sport, but not associate it to luxury lifestyle and timepieces,” Ms. Terrisse said.
“It is also a symbolic way to mark the moment luxury watchmaker's step in this extraordinary lifestyle, and the most disruptive way to grab the attention of the Indian consumers who seek cultural association and acceptance in their purchase," she said.
Final Take
Nancy Buckley, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York