© AFP


Gillette has launched the new Gillette Champions program with the unveiling of its newest brand ambassadors - three of the best-known, most widely respected and successful athletes competing today: Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Thierry Henry.

The three ambassadors will be fully integrated into Gillette brand programs and will be leveraged through multi-faceted marketing initiatives, including global print and broadcast advertising, consumer promotions, point of sale materials, online and public relations in support of Gillette's premium shaving products. The Gillette Champions program is scheduled to roll out in over 150 markets in the first year, making this the largest current sports marketing initiative for the brand.

Consistent with the program values, these three ambassadors were selected not only for their sporting accomplishments, but also for their behaviour away from the game. They are as much champions in their personal lives as they are in their sports.

Ranked ATP World No. 1 for three consecutive years, Roger Federer has dominated men's professional tennis. The champion holds 10 Grand Slam singles titles including four Wimbledon, three U.S. Open and three Australian Open titles and has been recognized as one of People magazine's sexiest men alive.

Beyond his feats on the court, Federer serves as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and in 2003 created the Roger Federer Foundation, which works with disadvantaged children in South Africa and promotes sport for young people.

Roger Federer provides his insight on the new program, "I'm honored to be considered with these other fine athletes. In the world of sport, there are a number of elite athletes doing important things on and off the court. As a new ambassador for the Gillette Champions program, I recognize the responsibility of encouraging us all -- player and fans alike -- to look and act like champions."

Tiger Woods, a four-time Masters champion, has been named the PGA Player of the Year seven times. His excellence on the golf course is paralleled only by his work with the Tiger Woods Foundation - an organization established in 1996 that has reached more than 10 million young people through educational and character development programs.

Commenting on being a Gillette Champion, Tiger Woods adds, "Being a part of the Gillette Champions program was a natural choice for me. In golf, having confidence is essential, and a critical element of confidence is looking and feeling my best."

Thierry Henry is a World Cup winner, European Championship winner, and the greatest goal scorer in the history of Arsenal Football Club. He is the first player to ever win back-to-back European Golden Boots and the first player to ever win domestic Golden Boots three years in succession. This coupled with two consecutive English Player of the Year Awards, a feat never to have been done before, and five French Player of the Year Awards are just a few trophies in his impressive cabinet.

Now captain of Arsenal F.C., he has been the team's top goal scorer every season for seven straight seasons and has been the top goal scorer in the Premier League on four occasions.