PARIS, May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- UNIQLO today
announces that it has appointed Novak Djokovic, the world's
top-ranked male professional tennis player, as its global brand
ambassador. The five-year partnership, which takes effect from
today, will see Djokovic promoting the UNIQLO brand and UNIQLO
clothing worldwide. The partnership will also include collaboration
on future product lines, as well as co-developing the ultimate
UNIQLO functional wear.
A preview of the collaboration's first results will be seen at this
year's Roland-Garros French Open Tennis Tournament that starts on
May 27, where Djokovic will debut his newly designed UNIQLO match
wear to spectators in Paris and to a worldwide TV
audience.
Tadashi Yanai, Chairman, President & CEO of leading global
Japanese retailer Fast Retailing, commented on today's announcement
saying, "We are extremely pleased to have Novak Djokovic become
UNIQLO's global brand ambassador. We will use the most innovative
fabrics and technologies to develop match wear that can contribute
to the performance of a globally recognized and respected sports
person like Novak. At the same time, UNIQLO will incorporate latest
fabrics and technologies to co-develop with him the ultimate
functional apparel that can be worn, and enjoyed, by people all
over the world."
Yanai added, "UNIQLO and Novak share a common, mutual desire to
improve people's lives and contribute to society. In addition to
creating truly great clothing with new and unique value, Fast
Retailing takes to heart our mission to enrich people's lives
through unique corporate activities and to grow our company in
unity with society. We look forward to collaborating with Novak on
a number of corporate social responsibility programs around the
world."
Novak Djokovic, commenting on today's announcement said, "I am
honored, and also very excited, to have been appointed as the
UNIQLO global brand ambassador. UNIQLO is a cool brand with strong
roots in Japan, a country whose culture and way of life I respect.
I have a personal philosophy which I call 'Be Unique,' and this is
based on my strong passion, drive and eagerness to keep improving
myself. I am passionate about being the best possible tennis
player, as well as the best possible person, and I have a
continuous desire to help people, especially children, who have
been less fortunate than I."
Djokovic added, "I feel a natural connection with UNIQLO. To me,
UNIQLO is not fast fashion, and it's not sports wear. UNIQLO is the
ultimate functional wear, which is exactly what I need as both a
sports person and an individual who leads a very active life. I
look forward to collaborating with UNIQLO in the development of new
products and to getting to know the global UNIQLO family
better."
In launching the new partnership between UNIQLO and Novak Djokovic
today, UNIQLO confirms that as its first corporate social
responsibility activity it will manufacture a custom-designed
charity UT (UNIQLO T-shirt) to sell at a select number of UNIQLO
stores and online. Proceeds from the sale of this UT will be
donated to the Novak Djokovic Foundation to support children's
programs. Details regarding the design of the UT, as well as timing
and location of sale will be announced in due course.
Pictures of today's press conference are available on
http://www.image.net. You will have access through the following
link:
https://www.image.net/xads/actions/inuserRegistration.do
About UNIQLO and Fast Retailing
UNIQLO is a brand of Fast Retailing Co. (FR), a leading global
Japanese retail holding company that designs, manufactures and
sells clothing under five brands: Comptoir des Cotonniers, g.u.,
Princesse tam.tam, Theory, and UNIQLO. With global sales of 820
billion yen for the 2011 fiscal year ending August 31, 2011, FR is
the world's fourth largest apparel retail company and UNIQLO is
Japan's leading specialty retailer.
Today UNIQLO has more than 1,100 stores worldwide, namely in the
U.S., U.K. France, Russia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan,
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea, as well as Japan. UNIQLO
continues to open large-scale stores in some of the world's most
important cities and locations, as part of its ongoing efforts to
solidify its status as a truly global brand. UNIQLO operates an
integrated business model under which it designs, manufactures,
markets and sells high-quality, casual apparel in line with its
'Made for All' philosophy.
With a corporate statement committed to changing clothes, changing
conventional wisdom and change the world, FR is dedicated to
creating great clothing with new and unique value to enrich the
lives of people everywhere. For more information about UNIQLO and
other FR group companies, please visit http://www.uniqlo.com or
http://www.fastretailing.com.
SOURCE﹛UNIQLO