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Soccer stars go off target in Hublot charity event
By Michelle Zhang |
July 28, 2009, Tuesday
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SEVERAL Manchester United soccer players were kicking for charity on the weekend in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.
A special football net in the shape of a watch was set up at West Lake on Saturday. Manchester United was in town to face Hangzhou Greentown in the last game of its Asian tour. Its stars Paul Scholes, Ji-Sung Park, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra were tasked with shooting the ball from the shore at the net, which was about 16 meters away and set up on a yacht on the lake. For each goal scored, Swiss watch maker Hublot had offered to donate US$250,000 to the Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization set up by Malaysian Chinese actress Angelica Lee and Taiwanese singer Valen Hsu to help underprivileged children in China.
United manager Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill were also there to cheer on the four players. None of the players scored, as the size of the target area was so small that a ball could barely pass through. Ferdinand came closest even though it was said his cleats were too small.
Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of Hublot, ensured that the Hope Foundation didn't walk away empty handed. Biver donated US$110,000 to the foundation on behalf of Hublot.
Hublot is the official timekeeper of Manchester United. It is also the first luxury watch brand to sponsor a soccer team.
"We always try to be unique, to be different and to be the first one," Biver says. "I hate going in the direction other people already went. That's why I chose to go with football because no luxury brand had been involved in the sport before."
To commemorate its partnership with Manchester United, Hublot introduced last year a limited edition of its signature Big Bang watch, the "Red Devil Bang." It featured the colors of the Premier League champion. More than 4,000 orders were received, but only 500 watches were made.
This year, Hublot has launched "Red Devil Bang 2." With a 45-minute counter at 9 o'clock, the "Red Devil" logo at 3 o'clock, and a new rose gold case fitted on a rubber Alligator strap, the sophisticated, sporty series is limited to just 99 pieces.
The watch is now on display at Hublot's new store in the prestigious shopping complex Hangzhou Tower, which also opened on Saturday.
"Hangzhou is an amazing city," Biver says. "The lake has given a special spirit to the city. I'm very optimistic about our future here."
Hublot opened its first store on the Chinese mainland in Shanghai's Plaza 66 in December. It operates three stores in Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou and plans to open at least five more stores in different cities around the country by the end of this year, according to Biver.
"We have had a great start in China and what I have seen here so far is phenomenal," he says. "I believe that the Chinese market could become the No. 1 market for Hublot in five years."
A special football net in the shape of a watch was set up at West Lake on Saturday. Manchester United was in town to face Hangzhou Greentown in the last game of its Asian tour. Its stars Paul Scholes, Ji-Sung Park, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra were tasked with shooting the ball from the shore at the net, which was about 16 meters away and set up on a yacht on the lake. For each goal scored, Swiss watch maker Hublot had offered to donate US$250,000 to the Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization set up by Malaysian Chinese actress Angelica Lee and Taiwanese singer Valen Hsu to help underprivileged children in China.
United manager Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill were also there to cheer on the four players. None of the players scored, as the size of the target area was so small that a ball could barely pass through. Ferdinand came closest even though it was said his cleats were too small.
Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of Hublot, ensured that the Hope Foundation didn't walk away empty handed. Biver donated US$110,000 to the foundation on behalf of Hublot.
Hublot is the official timekeeper of Manchester United. It is also the first luxury watch brand to sponsor a soccer team.
"We always try to be unique, to be different and to be the first one," Biver says. "I hate going in the direction other people already went. That's why I chose to go with football because no luxury brand had been involved in the sport before."
To commemorate its partnership with Manchester United, Hublot introduced last year a limited edition of its signature Big Bang watch, the "Red Devil Bang." It featured the colors of the Premier League champion. More than 4,000 orders were received, but only 500 watches were made.
This year, Hublot has launched "Red Devil Bang 2." With a 45-minute counter at 9 o'clock, the "Red Devil" logo at 3 o'clock, and a new rose gold case fitted on a rubber Alligator strap, the sophisticated, sporty series is limited to just 99 pieces.
The watch is now on display at Hublot's new store in the prestigious shopping complex Hangzhou Tower, which also opened on Saturday.
"Hangzhou is an amazing city," Biver says. "The lake has given a special spirit to the city. I'm very optimistic about our future here."
Hublot opened its first store on the Chinese mainland in Shanghai's Plaza 66 in December. It operates three stores in Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou and plans to open at least five more stores in different cities around the country by the end of this year, according to Biver.
"We have had a great start in China and what I have seen here so far is phenomenal," he says. "I believe that the Chinese market could become the No. 1 market for Hublot in five years."
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