Just in time to push sales of holiday bubbly, nine-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt has signed on with Pernod Ricard to support the company’s 189-year-old Mumm champagne brand.
With an eye toward whimsy, if not hyperbole, Mumm is calling Bolt its new CEO, but that’s “chief entertainment officer.”
In that role, Mumm hopes the sprinter will be an embodiment of its motto: “Dare. Win. Celebrate,” and add some contemporary relevance, according to Louis de Fautereau, Mumm’s global brand director.
“He’s a great athlete and a king of cool, a great figure in entertainment and lifestyle, and a grand icon of celebration, which is where we always want the brand to be,” de Fautereau said.
Mumm will initially support with a digital campaign, featuring a video that was being shot last week in Paris.
“I cannot recall us using an athlete before,” added de Fautereau. “He loves to celebrate and we want to be where people are celebrating. This should make us more relevant and increase the engagement we need to make the Mumm brand the most exciting brand.”
In a statement, Mumm said Bolt’s “long-term goal (as CEO) … will include spearheading initiatives to … make Maison Mumm the top champagne house in the U.S.”
Mumm’s other sports sponsorships include the Kentucky Derby, Formula E, and sailing’s Jules Verne Trophy and Admiral’s Cup. Mumm sponsored Formula One racing from 2000 until this year, when it was replaced by Moët and Chandon.
Bolt is one of the highest-paid athlete endorsers in the world. Some estimates of his off-track earnings are as high as $32.5 million. Bolt’s other endorsements include Gatorade, Virgin Media, Hublot and Nike.
