Evian Opens Floodgates, Takes Wawrinka Endorsement Worldwide

Evian is "expanding its Switzerland-only endorsement deal" with tennis player Stan Wawrinka to a global sponsorship, according to Daniel Kaplan of the SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL. The company "plans to feature Wawrinka through social media channels and use his image on bottles, said Lawrence Frankopan, founder and CEO of StarWing Sports, which represents the Swiss," who won this year's French Open. The "larger deal with Wawrinka expands Evian's presence in tennis, where the French water company sponsors Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and has an endorsement deal with Maria Sharapova." The new deal is part of an "endorsement surge" for Wawrinka, who agreed to extend his deal with Yonex through '20 and signed a deal to sponsor Lyria trains (SPORTS BUSINESS JOURNAL, issue 12/14)