LPGA world number one Lydia Ko is the face of the 2016 Evian Championship title sponsor’s ‘Baby Lydia’ integrated campaign.
Well, a computer generated baby lookalike (wearing Ko’s signature golf gear and even her on-shirt ANZ sponsor branding) is anyway.
To commemorate Evian endorser Ko’s first major victory on her return to the Evian-les-Bain Resort Golf Club hosted tournament, a CGI produced ‘Baby Lydia’ is fronting the water brand’s tournament activation: a campaign spearheaded by the baby face featuring on seven million bottles worldwide in the two-months leading up to the event.
The image also features on posters around the tournament and it is being amplified across social media by both the brand itself and by the LPGA.
As an @evianwater ambassador, @LydiaKo joins the “live young” campaign as they digitally produced “Baby Lydia” pic.twitter.com/b1xQtjBCQ4
— LPGA (@LPGA) September 14, 2016
As well as image-led social support, the campaign also includes film work spanning a ‘What Does It Take To Be A Top Player’ spot,
Before #EvianChamp, discover the #LiveYoung spirit of World n°1 Golf player @LydiaKo, our brand ambassador ! pic.twitter.com/ymF7JAIOlR
— evian (@evianwater) September 13, 2016
supported by a three-part online series called ‘Live Young With Lydia Ko’:
The tournament, running from 15 to 18 September, is the last of the year’s five LPGA majors and the title sponsor’s multi-strand ‘Live Young’ championship activation is at the heart of the event on-site too.
The activation by the legendary French water brand, which has been a major sponsor of its home town tournament since 1994,
Celebrating a longstanding relationship with @EvianChamp, taking place in the heart of the French Alps pic.twitter.com/p2MgnsrxvU
— evian (@evianwater) September 15, 2016
spans packaging, in-store, OOH, digital, social and an entertainment and experiential program of events in the Evian Fan Zone focusing on creativity and fun.
Onsite, at the event itself, the new Evian Fan Zone invites the public to a bar that features the new flavour range Evian Fruits & Plants
Sight-seeing for @EvianChamp final round #evianfruitsandplants #EvianChamp pic.twitter.com/qtpSJAZcJp
— evian (@evianwater) September 18, 2016
and an exclusive new limited edition bottle design honouring all the players at the Championship by engraving their names on the special collector’s edition 75 cl glass bottle
to watch the tournament on the giant screen, and even meet Lydia Ko during an autograph session.
While at her pre-tournament news conference, Ko asked the media ‘Have you seen my baby? I’ve never met her, but I still claim her.’
Ko was even asked if she was as cute as the baby when she was young.
‘Unfortunately not,’ she replied. ‘I definitely agree she’s cute.’
Other elements of Evian’s tournament activation include additional player appearances from fellow brand ambassador Maria Sharapova (currently banned from competition after a positive drugs test).
At the #EvianChamp with @MariaSharapova today ⛳️ #LiveYoung #PlayYoung pic.twitter.com/UKwSeM4QEx
— evian (@evianwater) September 16, 2016
Comment
Rio silver medallist Ko signed on as a global Evian athlete ambassador in March 2016.
The water giant aims to build brand synergies with her youth, as well as her energy, spontaneity and enthusiasm, plus her combination of outstanding performance and humility.
Evian hopes these elements of Ko’s character, coupled with her ability to connect with others, all dovetail with its own Live Young spirit and its commitment to a balanced, healthy lifestyle.
Indeed, at just 19 years old KO is something of a women’s golfing prodigy.
Indeed, the whole LPGA partnership is a good fit for a Live Young positioning as the average age of winners on the LPGA Tour in the last year is just 21.5 years old.
The campaign is just one sports sponsorship strand within the brand’s ongoing, umbrella ‘Live Young’ initiative – which sees the water company’s marketing feature babies to promote a ‘live young’ mentality.
Following its successful Roller Babies (2009), Baby & Me (2013) and Baby Bay (2016),
the brand is creating baby champion versions of its athlete ambassadors for campaigns linked to specific, relevant events.
Another recent example of this tactic saw Evian activate around sports endorsers Stan Warwinka’s recent US Open tennis victory.
Fan-STAN-Tic! Congratulations to our brand ambassador @stanwawrinka on his @usopen win! pic.twitter.com/lAnEWbdDFx
— evian (@evianwater) September 12, 2016
A tribute to our brand ambassador @stanwawrinka ! Congratulations for your win @usopen #StanTheMan pic.twitter.com/Z4D9WPEcrx
— evian (@evianwater) September 12, 2016
Links
Evian Web:
Evian YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/EvianBabies
Evian Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/evian
Evian Twitter:
https://twitter.com/evianwater/
Evian Championship Web:
http://www.evianchampionship.com/
Evian Championship Twitter:
https://twitter.com/EvianChamp
Evian Championship Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/evianchampionship
Evian Championship YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/theevianchampionship
Evian Championship Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/evianchamp/
Evian Championship Google+:
https://plus.google.com/+Evianchampionship
LPG Web:
LPGA Twitter:
