China’s athletes to sport national brand

SPONSORSHIP   MARKETING   SPORTSWEAR

Beijing – Chinese sportswear band ANTA has beat international sports giant adidas as the sportswear sponsor of China's Olympic Committee (COC) for the next four years.

Anta Sports Products, China's second-largest sportswear brand, has also been appointed as the exclusive sponsor for the China’s delegation at 11 international multi-sport competitions from now to 2012, including the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games and 2012 London Olympic Games.

Adidas was the sportswear sponsor for China's Beijing Olympic team.

“ANTA Sports’ good corporate image is a mirror of the Olympics spirits,” Wang Jun, vice director of the state general administration of sports & vice president of the COC, said.

Apart from sportswear, ANTA will also take part to promote the development of sport in China.

The first event will coincide with a clothing design competition for the Chinese athletes at the 2012 Guangzhou Asian Games. The idea is to invite designs worldwide for an outfit for the national sports delegation for the awards ceremony.

“We believe that the partnership will allow ANTA Sports to contribute to China’s Olympics development”  Jun added.

JWT, a long time partner of ANTA, will not be the sole advertising agency for the four-year project.

Claudia Lo, vice president, investor relations of ANTA, said the collaboration with the COC will involve different local, national and international events.

The most effective way is to cooperate with different agencies to tailor different marketing and advertising strategies, she said.