CURRENT WBO Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, more affectionately known as ‘Pac-Man’, has agreed a one-year deal with luxury cognac brand Hennessy for a reported $1m.
The deal, brokered by Pacquiao’s promoters Top Rank, will see the boxer appear in a series of television and print advertisements beginning January 2012.
Despite the delayed start date for the campaign this is seen as a clever move for Hennessy, which will be looking to gain maximum brand exposure via association with Pacquiao in the run-up to his long-awaited match up with Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12.
The deal is the second major endorsement contract the Filipino fighter has secured this year. In May, Pacquiao was recruited to front the advertising campaign of HP’s new tablet device in a three-year agreement, also valued at $1m per year.
Parent company LVMH, and Top Rank for that matter, will be hoping that Pacquiao’s association with Hennessy will not lead to the same ill-fated legacy of the HP product, which was pulled from retailer’s shelves only six weeks after its launch.
The LVMH stable has been busy in the sponsorship world this week, with champagne brand Moët & Chandon agreeing a three-year tie up with the men’s tennis ATP World Tour. See our Deal Tracker story here.