Automaker Land Rover, part of Ford Motor's Premier Automotive Group, has signed Russian-born tennis star Maria Sharapova as a celebrity endorser. Sharapova will receive an estimated $2 million
annually to endorse the car in a series of print ads over a three-year period. The tennis star, known as much for her beauty as for her prodigious skills on the tennis court, is a favorite among
marketers. She earns about $20 million a year from endorsement deals with companies that include Honda Japan, Nike, Colgate-Palmolive, and Motorola. The Land Rover agreement covers North America,
England and Russia, and she is scheduled to appear at a Land Rover event in New York on April 11 when the car company is expected to make a formal announcement of the alliance. Ford's Premier
Automotive Group includes other high-end brands such as Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo.
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