On 2 April 2019, the Hublot watch manufacturer achieved a feat that had been longed for by several generations of football fans in Paris. Which feat? That of uniting two legends of world football: Pele and Kylian Mbappé. One finished a record-breaking sporting career, the other began it with the same insolent success - and with the same humility. Two people who have everything in common: they both won their first World Cup the first time they took part and were the youngest players (17 for Pele and 19 for Kylian Mbappé) to score and win a World Cup. Both of them wearing the number 10 shirts.
An astonishing watchmaking moment, perhaps one of the most talked-about of 2019, and without even presenting a watch... Hublot’s great strength lies in always surprising and constantly innovating.
In addition to all their footballing similarities, Pelé and Kylian Mbappé share the same status: that of being a Hublot "Ambassador". While the former already has two limited series - sold out and sought-after - to his name, the latter proudly (and regularly) wears the Big Bang Unico Titanium and Ceramic model wrist, a design that embodies Hublot's DNA, that of the "Art of Fusion".
If this meeting marks the culmination of a highly effective marketing policy, namely that of the Brand Ambassadors, how did it start?
It all started with one man, Jean-Claude Biver. And thanks to a premise that was as brilliant as it was achievable: As Hublot is a recent manufacturing company. Founded in 1980, it cannot draw on a history rich in colourful anecdotes to get itself noticed, so in 2006 it turned its hand to sports sponsorship to benefit from the transfer of image and reputation. And in an era when luxury brands are investing massively in elitist sports with high entry costs - both for aficionados and brand partners - such as golf, sailing and horse riding, it decided to hedge its bets on the popular sport par excellence: football.
What’s more, putting the plan into action generated a real buzz: instead of putting HUBLOT on the sponsors' banners around the football pitches, the manufacturer, known for its marketing genius, spread the message "NO TO RACISM". The whole football world was scratching its head, trying to work out the sponsor behind this universal message might be: HUBLOT was making its mark.
This was followed by a number of partnerships, each more prestigious than the last: Hublot became Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of UEFA EURO 2008TM and Manchester United in the same year, partnered with Paris Saint-Germain in 2013, welcomed King Pele into the Hublot family of Ambassadors in 2013, became world famous by creating a referee panel in the shape of a watch case during the 2014 FIFA World Cup TM in Brazil, partnered with more Clubs, and notably Chelsea FC in 2015, and surprised once again with the launch of the first - and latest - Hublot smartwatch, the Big Bang Referee, the official watch of the 2018 FIFA World Cup TM, worn by both 2018 happy football fans and the official referees of the Competition (during the matches!). In 2018, luck (aided by flair!) smiled on the watchmaker as no less than three of the four coaches leading their teams to the semi-finals - Didier Deschamps, Gareth Southgate and Roberto Martinez - were "friends of the brand" who wear Hublot watches on a daily basis, both on and off the pitch.
As football is a community sport, Hublot's appeal spread like wildfire both within football teams and in amateur circles. The link between Hublot and all these football Ambassadors was sealed!
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