For the seventh year running, LIQUI MOLY has announced it will be a premium sponsor of the MercedesCup tennis tournament, which takes place June 9-17 in Stuttgart.
“Long-term partnerships with suppliers, customers and advertising partners are important to us,” said Peter Baumann, head of global marketing of motor oil and specialist additives.
Sporting quality meets high-tech quality
“Weissenhof tennis club in Stuttgart and the internationally renowned top event that has been held there for decades are synonymous with top performances in the sport of tennis just as the eponymous sponsor Mercedes and LIQUI MOLY are synonymous with technical perfection,” said Baumann.
The visual connection of the car brand with its star and the motor oil company is one of the motivating factors behind this commitment in Stuttgart, according to the company.
Another reason is the sporting attraction of the event. The MercedesCup is one of the few grass court tournaments in the ATP World Tour, meaning participants are of a high caliber. And this, in turn, attracts spectators and the media. Last year’s winner, Lucas Pouille from France, is one of the players that will take center stage. The biggest attraction will be Roger Federer, the winner of 20 Grand Slam titles. The eight-time Wimbledon champion uses this event to help prepare him for the English grass tournament. Of course, he would like to be included in the list of tournament winners, alongside such illustrious names as Björn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Andre Agassi, Michael Stich, Thomas Muster and Rafael Nadal.
“International events are more important to us,” said Baumann “As the most popular motor oil brand in Germany we do not just want to be at the top in our domestic market; we want to be top all over the world.”
In Stuttgart, the brand will be in prime view of the cameras, on the boards along the back and sides of the courts. And then there’s the media interest. More than 100 domestic and international journalists will be reporting from Stuttgart. Global television broadcasts guarantee a seven-figure audience, as proven by previous tournaments. Against this backdrop, one detail is very important to Baumann: “We are the exclusive motor oil brand of the tournament.”