Motorola signs Sharapova for global marketing effort

LONDON – Motorola has signed its first celebrity endorsement since the 90s in a global marketing deal with Russian Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova.

Although a price tag has not been put on the deal, it will include global advertising, events and web activity to target younger consumers.

Motorola said Sharapova was chosen because of her "seamless mobility" and because she is "tech-savvy", being on the road for 30 weeks a year.

Geoffrey Frost, the senior vice-president and chief brand officer at Motorola, said: "Our interest in Maria Sharapova wasn't about having an athlete endorsing our product. We believe Maria connects with a new breed of consumers seeking global connectivity through stylishly engineered products that fit their lifestyles."

Sharapova is already becoming something of a pop culture icon, prompting some commentators to dub her "Anna Kournikova with talent". At 17, she is one of the youngest Wimbledon champions. Boris Becker, who won the championship in 1995, was also 17.

The deal is part of Motorola's wider effort to target younger consumers. It recently signed a deal with Apple allowing users to download iTunes to MP3 players embedded in its handsets. It also has an alliance with MTV and sponsors ITV1's movies

The last sports star it sponsored was golfer Lee Trevino in 1993.

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