Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is now an even richer man. According to Vedomosti, Bank Otkrytie signed Ovechkin to an endorsement deal worth between $500k and $1 million. The site says that it is one of the richest celebrity endorsement deals on the Russian market today. Lenta.ru reports that the agreement will last one year.
Ovechkin, who will lend his likeness to many forms of promotion material, has already filmed four commercials. The ads began airing on Russian airwaves Friday, June 10, during the first day of the UEFA Euro 2016 soccer tournament held in France.
Video: Ovechkin’s Commercials For Otkrytie
In Ovechkin’s first commercial he kicks a soccer ball into the net.”To open an account at Bank Otkrytie is easier than scoring on an open net,” the announcer says.
Here Ovechkin stands at the top of a parking deck while countless soccer balls bounce at him in slow motion. The announcer says at the end “Bank Otkrytie: there is always room for discovery in life.”
Ovechkin shows off his juggling skills and spins a soccer ball on his finger. Ovechkin’s father is a former soccer player and his mother Tatyana won two Olympic gold medals in basketball.
Ovechkin, dressed in full hockey gear, walks out to a soccer pitch. “Sasha! Wrong stadium!” the announcer says over the intercom. The commercial promotes Otkrytie’s mobile app. “You’ll never be lost with it.”
“The company’s motto, There is always room for discovery in life, is close to any athlete’s heart,” Ovechkin said to Lenta.ru and translated by RMNB’s Igor Kleyner. “We must have new discoveries in order to be stronger and win. What we did in the studio matches the motto. The storylines in the videos were unexpected, not what you expect to see in a commercial for a bank. So I made a few discoveries for myself while filming for them.”
Ovechkin’s face will now be found nearly everywhere in Russia. In cities where the bank’s presence is high — Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Khanty-Mansiysk, Tyumen, Surgut and Nizhnevartovsk — Ovechkin will be featured in outdoor advertising.
Two years ago, soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo signed an endorsement deal with Bank Otkrytie for several million dollars. One commercial in particular raised the brand’s significantly when the footballer tried (and failed) to say the company’s name in Russian. It was parodied on the Internet, and on various Russian television shows.
The bank hopes to strike gold with Ovechkin as well.
Over the years, the Russian machine has sponsored countless companies both home and abroad. Ovechkin’s repped major brands such as Nike, Bauer, Beats By Dre, Capital One Bank (Sorry, Penguin), Coca-Cola, Gillette, and Papa John’s. Now add one of Russia’s largest banks to the mix.
The star of Team Russia and Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin signed a promotional contract with Bank Otkrytie, according to Vedomosti sources. A representative from Otkrytie and Ovechkin’s agent Gleb Chistyakov confirmed the deal, but did not disclose the amount.
Ovechkin will become the main character in the promotional videos for Otkrytie, which will run during upcoming Euro 2016 tournament. The bank also intends to use Ovechkin’s image in various promotional material, including digital media.
The deal is estimated to be worth between $500,000 and $1,000,000. A source close to Otkrytie confirmed the approximate value of the contract. The partnership between Ovechkin and Otkrytie is estimated to be one of the most expensive celebrity endorsements on the Russians market in recent history. The deal, however will not be as expensive as the one Otkrytie signed two of years ago with Cristiano Ronaldo – estimated to be several million dollars.
Translations and additional reporting by Igor Kleyner.
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