TAG HEUER SIGNS MARIA SHARAPOVA
By Adnews Staff
Watchmaker TAG Heuer of Switzerland has signed tennis player Maria Sharapova as a "brand ambassador." The multi-year agreement, described by the company as "long-term," includes product development, advertising, public relations and merchandising. The contract went into effect on Dec. 12. The first advertising featuring Sharapova will break in early 2005. The 17-year-old Russian was the winner of Wimbledon and the WTA year-end championship this year. "She's the perfect TAG Heuer Ambassador," said company president Jean-Christophe Babin, "An ideal representative of the core values of passion, prestige and performance which have driven the brand for 145 years. She will go a long way toward reinforcing the brand's profile in the professional tennis world, which goes back to our 'Inner Strength' campaign in the 1990s, when Boris Becker and Monica Seles were TAG Heuer Ambassadors." Other current TAG Heuer Ambassadors include golfer Tiger Woods, Formula 1 driver Kimi Raikkonen and freediver Tanya Streeter.