Tennis player Caroline Wozniacki is "finally getting the chocolate deal of her dreams," becoming Godiva's first athlete endorser, according to Monica Langley of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. After reaching the U.S. Open final in '14, Wozniacki "garnered newfound appeal with corporate sponsors." When her agents "reviewed endorsement prospects the day after the tournament, Wozniacki was quoted saying, 'I want a chocolate deal.'" Godiva CEO Mohamed Elsarkey said that the quote in WSJ "brought Wozniacki -- and her love of chocolate -- to his attention." Elsarkey then "wanted to see if the luxury chocolate brand and Wozniacki would be a match." The pair met in November in N.Y. and "hit it off." Both sides declined to reveal terms, but confirmed that product "definitely is included" (WSJ, 2/11). ESPN's Darren Rovell reported Lagardere Unlimited Dir of Talent Marketing Drew Lemesurier, who reps Wozniacki, said that his client "took away some of their leverage when she told the Journal she would be willing to do a chocolate deal for free product alone." However, Lemesurier said that Godiva made "a significant financial investment" with Wozniacki. Wozniacki said, "Most athletes have a guilty pleasure. We work out so much, we need that sugar, and chocolate has always been my thing" (ESPN, 2/11). Wozniacki will support Godiva initiatives while she is on the WTA tournament circuit. She is scheduled to make stops in China, Europe, the U.S. and Middle East. The deal was formally unveiled yesterday at a private gathering at Godiva's Fifth Avenue store in N.Y. (Godiva).
SUITS HER JUST FINE: Yesterday’s edition of NBC’s “Today” aired a behind-the-scenes segment from Wozniacki’s photo shoot for SI’s swimsuit edition. Wozniacki said she loves the swimsuit issue, “especially because of the body image that it portrays.” Wozniacki: “I’m an athlete. I'm never going to look like one of the runway models and be really skinny. I’m going to always have some muscles and some definition. To me, I find that very attractive and I think it's a healthy way to portray women.” She said of the SI photographers, “They made me so comfortable and I had a blast.” Wozniacki: “The pictures turned out really well and I’m very happy with the results” (
“Today,” NBC, 2/10).
