UNIQLO TAPS ROGER FEDERER AS ITS NEWEST GLOBAL BRAND AMBASSADOR

Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo has announced a partnership with tennis player Roger Federer as its newest global brand ambassador, marking the end of more than two decades of sponsorship by Nike. The new partnership means that Federer will represent Uniqlo at all tennis tournaments throughout the year, starting with The Championships, Wimbledon 2018.

Federer’s game wear for Wimbledon 2018 was designed at the Uniqlo Paris R&D Center, led by artistic director Christophe Lemaire. Instead of the classic polo shirt or crewneck style collar, Uniqlo reflected Federer’s preference for a short stand-up collar to emphasize a more sophisticated look both on and off court. The design of the shirt and shorts is accented by a burgundy color line – incorporated at the edge of the sleeves and the front panel of the shirt, and down the sides of the shorts – to highlight the company’s corporate color.

“Mr. Federer is one of the greatest champions in history; my respect for him goes beyond sport,” said Tadashi Yanai, founder and chairman of Uniqlo and president and CEO of Fast Retailing, Uniqlo’s parent company. “Our partnership will be about innovation on and off court. We share a goal of making positive change in the world, and I hope together we can bring the highest quality of life to the greatest number of people. Uniqlo will help Mr. Federer continue taking tennis to new places, while exploring innovations in a number of areas including technology and design with him.”

“I am deeply committed to tennis and to winning championships,” added Federer. “But like Uniqlo, I also have great love for life, culture and humanity. We share a strong passion to have a positive impact on the world around us and look forward to combining our creative endeavors.”