Being a watch ambassador might seem like a dream job. You receive great watches for free, and you just have to wear them, that’s it. Pose for a few pictures and go on with your day and free timepiece.
Having your brand on the wrist of an athlete or celebrity might not be as easy as it sounds. A good ambassador can introduce your brand to millions of new potential customers, but a bad ambassador can really hurt your precious name. Let’s find out how brands should pick ambassadors, and how they certainly shouldn’t pick them.
It’s important to have a brand ambassador who actually likes your products. That might sound like pure logic, but it’s actually harder than it sounds.
How it should be done
Let’s start with the topic of the month, legendary quarterback Tom Brady. Brady is an American football quarterback player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and is considered one of the best American football players to have ever existed. Brady and his team have been all over the news for the last few days, since he won his 7th Super Bowl on February 7th, an unseen record. He is the first player in history to win 7 Superbowl rings.
Brady has also been an important IWC brand ambassador since 2019. Brady was often spotted wearing IWC watches before he was ambassador, watches he paid full retail price for. He was often seen wearing an IWC Portugieser he received from his wife, and his all-time favorite, the black Top Gun Pilots watch. It was only logical for IWC to approach him and make him the face of the brand, since Brady already had much affinity for IWC.
Since we are talking about IWC, we have to mention Lewis Hamilton. Brady is the all-time best American Football player, Hamilton is the all-time best Formula 1 driver. That’s just by looking at the numbers.
Hamilton is a big IWC fan as well. Hamilton has a big IWC collection, as well as a few unique pieces he proudly wears. He only wears IWC, even in his free time, and even if his contract doesn’t obligate him to do so.
That’s how you build loyalty, and brand loyalty the best publicity money can’t buy.
Hamilton even has a IWC printed on his racing gloves, so it always looks like he is wearing a watch, even mid race.
How It Should NOT Be Done
Daniel Craig is an Omega Ambassador (technically James Bond is, but you get the point), and yet Daniel wears nothing but Rolex in his free time. Craig only wears Omega on Omega-sponsored events, and takes his watch off when the event is over. Not a valuable ambassador if you ask me.
Christiano Ronaldo is another horrible example. Ronaldo is ambassador for both Tag Heuer and Jacob & Co, already a bad idea if you ask me.
If you look a lavish individual like Ronaldo, a player who earns around €50 million (including sponsorships) a year and only drives Bugatti’s and flies in his private jets, would you associate that individual with €2000 dive watches (like the Tag Aquaracer), or with multi million euro diamond covered tourbillons? Exactly!
Ronaldo is often spotted wearing different million euro Jacob & Co’s and often hangs out with the brand’s founder, Jacob The Jeweler. Meanwhile, Ronaldo never wears a Tag Heuer, unless his sponsorship contact forces him to. Is that really how you want to profile your brand?
