French oil and gas giant Total has announced a multi-million dollar sponsorship agreement with the Badminton World Federation running from 2015 to 2018.
Under the deal, the precise financial terms of which were not disclosed, Total becomes the title sponsor of all BWF major events, as well as enjoying commercial rights to the World Superseries, which is title sponsored by global insurance company MetLife under a four-year deal struck in December 2013.
The first tournament to fall under the Total partnership is August’s BWF World Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia, while the Thomas & Uber Cup Finals and Sudirman Cup are also included.
Sponsoring badminton marks a notable alteration of commercial strategy from Total, which has traditionally been associated with motorsport events.
Total’s marketing and services senior vice-president for the Asia-Pacific region, François Dehodencq, said: “We are very pleased to be the first global energy company to partner with BWF to promote the badminton sport. The suite of world-class events which BWF hosts represent the best of individual and team competition, and feature elite athletes from across the world. Moreover, almost 80 per cent of the Olympic badminton medallists hail from Asia Pacific, a region where Total is committed to grow our presence.”