• by Erik Oster , January 25, 2024

 Danone Group’s Evian water brand named American tennis phenom Frances Tiafoe as its newest global brand ambassador.

“Hydration is fundamental to my daily routine as an athlete, and teaming up with evian is a natural fit,” Tiafoe said in a statement.

The 26-year old Tiafoe joins a long list of tennis greats to partner with the brand, including current brand ambassadors Emma Raducanu and Stan Wawrinka.

Evian Marketing Director Leeni Hämäläinen told Marketing Daily that a primary reason for Tiafoe’s selection was his embodiment of the brand’s longtime “Live Young” ethos of approaching life with a youthfulness of body and mind at any age.

“He’s an outstanding talent and inspiration for tennis players,” Hämäläinen said. “We love the joy he’s bringing to the sport.”

Evian’s associations to tennis run deep. The brand has been a U.S. Open sponsor for over 35 years, a distinction that helps it stand out in a crowded market, Hämäläinen said.

“We have been focusing on this sport because it has a certain level of elegance and prestige that aligns with Evian as a high-quality water brand,” she explained, while also citing the “approachability” of the sport.

“The kind of evolution we’ve seen in tennis in recent years has been inspiring. Not only has it become more popular, but more diverse in the U.S.,” she added, with the success of young players bringing enthusiasm to the sport.

The brand ‘s U.S.Open sponsorship will be an important moment again this year, she said, with “big activation plans” alongside a media plan devoted to driving visibility of the sponsorship.