Hublot Teams Up with Manchester United for a Unique Watch Promotion

Over the past few years, several watch companies have begun investing large sums of dollars on event partnerships, athlete endorsements, team partnerships, and more. As sports organizations look to leverage partnerships in this category in new ways, many should consider benchmarking a promotional tactic that Hublot and Manchester United partnered on in 2010.

Luxury watchmaker Hublot teamed up with Manchester United to host a Million Dollar Challenge event in New York City that featured several players as well as manager Sir Alex Ferguson shooting soccer balls at a giant target (replicating a Hublot watch) for the chance to raise funds for UNICEF. As part of the promotion, Manchester United players were challenged with striking a giant replica watch with a shot from 51 feet away to donate $1 million to UNICEF, a philanthropic entity that ManU has supported for 10+ years.

While no player successfully accomplished the feat, Hublot still donated a significant amount of money to UNICEF and generated buzz worldwide with the event. The PR stunt demonstrates how organizations can create engaging activation/PR stunt displays for watch companies that will attract consumer interest and attention. Consider ways that your team can benchmark this tactic to bring official watch partnerships to life!

Check out Hublot's activation tactic below:

Arsenal Fans Love the EBEL Fastest Goal Contest...

Are you looking for new ways to leverage an official watch/timing partner? Are you looking for new ways to reward fans based on team milestones?

During the 2008-09 season, Arsenal FC teamed up with its Official Timing Partner, Ebel, to create the Ebel Fastest Goal Competition. The team ran a monthly contest from August until April that tasked Arsenal fans with guessing when the team's fastest goal would take place each month.

The entrant with the closest prediction each month received a free Ebel prize and a one (1) year subscription to Arsenal TV Online. At the close of the promotion, the person with the most accurate guess also received a personalized Ebel watch (valued at $4,150 euros) alongside the Arsenal player that scored the fastest goal at a home match.

Some of the promotion's stipulations include:

• Only residents of the United Kingdom could apply to win (and must be 18+ years of age)
• Consumers may only enter to win once per month
• The registered timing of the Arsenal goals would be based on the official Premier League statistics
• If more than one correct entry is received, the winner will be chosen by a random drawing 

Ebel signed a five (5) year partnership agreement with Arsenal FC in 2007 that included the following elements:

• Two (2) giant clocks on both sides of the stadium's first tier that reference the precise time substitutions occur, how much extra time there is in the match, and other notable moments
• High-tech field boards that feature their name at strategic moments of the game (that will be visible on television)
• The development of a mechanical watch designed specifically for football and inspired by the world of Arsenal
• A press conference to announce the partnership featuring Thierry Henry and Gisele Bundchen 

In 2009, Ebel is running a similar "Fastest Goal Competition" with the FC Bayern Munich and AJAX soccer clubs (see the official website HERE).

Other sports properties should consider leveraging their official watch/timing partners to create similar promotions:

• Hockey - Fastest Goal, Save, Check, etc.
• Baseball - Fastest Home Run, Strike, Strikeout
• Football - Fastest Sack, Touchdown, Reception
• Basketball - Fastest Field Goal, Three-Point Field Goal, Block, Steal
• Tennis - Fastest Ace