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For Immediate Release
| Contact: | Kendra Calvert Blue Equity, LLC Tel: 502.588.7159 kcalvert@blueequity.com | Charlie Bernard 5W Public Relations Tel: 212.584.4278 cbernard@5wpr.com |
U.S. Tennis Star Mardy Fish Signs Lucrative Deal with K-Swiss to Become Face of North American Marketing Campaign
Highly Popular Tennis Star to Increase Visibility of Brand among U.S. Tennis Fans
LOUISVILLE, KY, January 07, 2008 - Blue Equity, LLC (www.blueequity.com) announced today Mardy Fish, represented by the firm's SFX Worldwide Division, has signed 4-year agreement to endorse K-Swiss shoes and clothing. The endorsement agreement has a base in the low-mid six figures annually and includes a performance and rankings bonus. Fish will join former world #2 player Tommy Haas and current WTA sisters Alona and Katerina Bondarenko at the forefront of the brand's global sports marketing push with Fish serving as the focal point of its North American marketing campaign. Fish has a strong U.S. tennis presence as a Silver Medal winner in the 2004 Olympic Games and is currently the third highest ranked American in men's tennis and #39 overall.
The deal with K-Swiss comes on the heels of a string of impressive performances by Fish as he won two ATP titles (Stockholm, 2003; Houston, 2006) and reached the finals seven times including the Masters Series Cincinnati in 2003 and New Haven in 2007. Previous to his agreement with K-Swiss, Fish served as an endorser of Adidas for the past four years.
"We're thrilled that K-Swiss has chosen Mardy Fish to serve as the brand's ambassador in North America and we will look forward to building a campaign to resonate with U.S. consumers and tennis fans," said John Tobias, Vice President of SFX Worldwide. "This is a great opportunity to be at the forefront of a premiere performance apparel brand in the industry."
"As K-Swiss looks to tighten its grasp on the tennis market, bringing on a top notch player such as Mardy Fish is crucial for the brand. We're excited about his returning to action and think he'll be an excellent ambassador for the brand," said Eric Vervloet, spokesman for K-Swiss.
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About Blue Equity
Blue Equity's holdings in sports are comprised of SFX Worldwide, Worldwide Football, Blackwave Sports, Team Championships International (TCI), Humarks and Game Seven Sports Marketing. Current clients include Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, NFL Pro Bowlers DeAngelo Hall, Will Smith and Michael Vick, NBA All-Star Rasheed Wallace, 2007 NBA Lottery picks Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer, Australian, French and US Open Champion Justine Henin, US Open Champion Andy Roddick, No. 1 doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan, Minnesota basketball coach Tubby Smith, Arizona State basketball coach Herb Sendek, Louisville football coach Steve Kragthorpe, Ole Miss basketball coach Andy Kennedy, Arkansas basketball coach John Pelphrey and Massachusetts basketball coach Travis Ford. Media & Event properties include the US Open Tennis Championship, the French Open Tennis Championship, the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, numerous US-based ATP tournaments, Rock 'n Racquets, Hoop It Up, Let It Fly, Kick It, the Boston Marathon, EliteXC Mixed Martial Arts, the Superstars Competition, the AVP Beach Volleyball tour, Ice Wars, the World Cup of Softball, Basketball Hall of Fame Challenge, the Men's and Womens' Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships and the Men's Ford Tennis Championship.
www.sfxworldwide.com | www.blackwavesports.com | www.teamchampionships.com | www.game-seven.com | www.humarks.com
Blue Equity, LLC is an independent, private equity firm based in Louisville, Kentucky. It is committed to actively investing growth capital and business expertise in enterprises with solid development potential. Blue Equity forms strategic partnerships with existing management teams and leverages its expertise and relationships to stabilize, strengthen and grow lasting value. Investment efforts and managerial expertise are focused on the operation of a global and diversified portfolio of business enterprises, including opportunities in media, publishing, sports and entertainment, financial services, real estate and international trade. Blue Equity is dedicated to helping businesses grow by accelerating opportunity and driving innovation to the marketplace. www.blueequity.com