Rahul SahaThis article contains information regarding Jamaican former sprinter Usain Bolt’s brand endorsement deals and business ventures.
Usain Bolt’s brand endorsements and sponsors over the years — Gatorade, Puma, Hublot, Replay, Top Legends, Epson, Allianz Direct, Gamdom, Kio Networks, Step App, SprintRay, Digicel, Kinder, Advil, XM, Virgin Group, Visa, All Nippon Airways, Opus, Samsung, Nissan, AvaTrade, Peloton, Autograph.io, Michelob Ultra, Carmax, Ganapati Gaming, G.H. Mumm, Xoom, Alpro, Sam’s Club, Funland Jamaica, Soul Electronics
CURRENT ENDORSEMENTS
Gatorade
Gatorade, an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products owned by PepsiCo, has been sponsoring the eight-time Olympic gold-medallist since 2012, when it roped him in as a brand ambassador ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.
Puma
German athleticwear and footwear corporation Puma was the first to sponsor the Jamaican superstar in 2002, when the two signed a multi-year sponsorship agreement reportedly worth US$1.5 million.
In 2013, Bolt became the first athlete to be given a lifetime sponsorship deal by the German company. Reportedly, Puma has paid him US$10 million every year since then.
Hublot
In May 2010, Swiss luxury watchmaker Hublot signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Bolt, roping him in as a global brand ambassador.
Since then, the two have signed a fair few contract extensions and still have an agreement in place, with Bolt often seen promoting Hublot watches on social media.
Replay
Italian denim clothing retailer Replay signed a three-year partnership agreement with Usain Bolt in September 2021.
As per the deal, Bolt acts as a global brand ambassador for Replay, with the deal running out at the end of 2024.
Top Legends
Top Legends, a memorabilia and collectables manufacturing company, roped in Bolt as the first athlete to create a “value-note” in 2023, which can be found on the Top Legends website.
Epson
Epson, a Japanese multinational electronics company and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of printers, announced the signing of a multi-year agreement with Bolt in October 2021.
Apart from acting as an Epson brand ambassador, Usain also spearheads the awareness-building campaign for Epson’s cartridge-free EcoTank printers.
Allianz Direct
Allianz Direct, an insurance company of the Allianz Group that deals with the direct sale of insurance products in Italy, announced the signing of an eight-year partnership agreement with Bolt in January 2021.
Since coming on board, Bolt has been posting promotional content for the insurance company on his social media handles.
Gamdom
Gamdom, an online crypto betting and casino platform, announced the signing of Bolt as an official brand ambassador in February 2023.
As a Gamdom brand ambassador, Bolt promotes contests and giveaways on his social media handles from time to time.
KIO Networks
Founded in 2002, KIO Networks, a Mexican company offering a wide range of mission-critical information technology services, announced the signing of Usain Bolt as a partner in 2022.
In May 2023, Bolt announced his new role of the “Chief Sprint Officer” at KIO Networks.
Step App
In July 2022, fitness finance platform Step App announced the signing of Usain Bolt as an official partner.
The announcement came on the back of Step App officially launching its private beta for a gamified fitness metaverse.
SprintRay
SprintRay, a US tech company that builds end-to-end 3D printing ecosystems for dental professionals, signed a multi-year partnership agreement with Bolt in October 2021.
Digicel
Digicel, a Jamaica-based Caribbean mobile phone network and home entertainment provider, first roped in Bolt as an official brand ambassador in 2003.
In 2016, Digicel announced the signing of a lifetime partnership deal with the Olympic champion, as per which Bolt was also given the unique title of “Chief Speed Officer”.
Past ENDORSEMENTS
Kinder
Kinder, a chocolate bar produced by Italian multinational confectionery company Ferrero, roped in Bolt as a brand ambassador in 2017.
Advil
Advil, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, also signed a sponsorship deal with the Jamaican sprinter in 2017.
XM
XM, a trading platform offering a wide range of trading instruments, including forex, CFDs on stocks, indices, commodities, and precious metals, roped in Bolt as an official brand ambassador in 2016 on a multi-year deal.
Virgin Group
Virgin Group, a British multinational venture capital conglomerate founded by Richard Branson and Nik Powell in 1970, announced signing Bolt as a sponsored athlete in January 2012.
As per the deal, Bolt starred in many TV commercials for Virgin Group. Their association lasted until 2021.
Visa
American multinational payment card services corporation Visa first roped in Bolt in March 2012 for its “Visa Europe” ad campaign.
As a Visa brand ambassador, Bolt later featured in the many of the company’s key promotional campaigns during major sporting events.
All Nippon Airways
All Nippon Airways, a Japanese airliner, announced the signing of a multi-year partnership deal with Bolt in February 2016, ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Opus
In May 2021, Opus, a leading publisher of luxury limited-edition books in sports, film and entertainment, announced a partnership with Bolt for the publication of Bolt – The Opus, capturing his iconic Olympic moments and treasured memories.
Samsung
Samsung, a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate, roped in Bolt as an official brand ambassador in March 2013.
As part of the multi-year deal, Samsung worked with the Usain Bolt Foundation to provide photography equipment and lessons to aspiring young photographers. Under the name “NX Junior Photographer”, Samsung helped them achieve their dreams and goals by providing the guidance to excel.
Nissan
Nissan, a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer, signed a special deal with the Jamaican sprinter in October 2012 following his success at the London Olympics.
With Bolt on board as a brand ambassador, Nissan developed a special edition one-off “Gold” GT-R, whose auctioned-off money went to the Usain Bolt Foundation. Bolt was also made the honorary “Director of Excitement” for the company’s global marketing drive.
AvaTrade
AvaTrade, a Dublin-based forex and CFD brokerage platform, announced the signing of a partnership agreement with Usain Bolt in August 2021.
Peloton
Peloton, a New York-based exercise equipment and media company, roped in Bolt along with seven other Olympic athletes and a Paralympian for its “Champion Collection”, launched in April 2021.
As part of the collection, Peloton released a special one-week “Train Like Usain Bolt” training programme, which featured custom-recorded classes from Becs Gentry, Adrian Williams, and Robin Arzón.
Autograph.io
Autograph.io, an NFT platform that allows users to buy digital collectibles of the world’s most iconic figures in sports and entertainment, announced the roping-in of Usain Bolt as a brand ambassador in October 2021.
As part of the deal, apart from having a limited-edition collection of NFTs released on the DraftKings marketplace, Bolt also joined the platform’s advisory board.
Michelob Ultra
Michelob Ultra, a pale lager beer by Anheuser-Busch InBev, announced the signing of Usain Bolt as the face of an ad campaign launched in June 2021.
As part of the deal, Bolt opened a “running tab” for anyone and everyone to enjoy a free Michelob Ultra. In order to take advantage of the promotion, drinkers were instructed to photograph their bar receipt and upload it to the “ULTRA Beer Run” website.
CarMax
CarMax, a US-based used car retailer, roped in Bolt as an official brand ambassador in July 2021.
As part of his campaign with CarMax, the sprinter was challenged to race the 800-metre at his home track in Jamaica while a CarMax customer submitted their online appraisal offer, a process that clocked in at two minutes.
Ganapati Gaming
Ganapati Gaming, an Indian traditional iGaming and entertainment-focused gaming platform, roped in the Jamaican sprinter as the face of its online betting and casino gaming brand in January 2020.
G. H. Mumm & Cie
G. H. Mumm & Cie, a Champagne house founded in 1827 and based in Reims, France, announced the signing of Bolt as its Chief Entertainment Officer and brand ambassador in November 2016.
Xoom
Xoom, PayPal’s international money transfer service, announced the signing of Bolt as a global brand ambassador in December 2018.
Bolt’s association with Xoom lasted until 2020.
Alpro
Alpro, a Belgian marketer of non-genetically-modified plant-based products, roped in Bolt as the face of a national ad campaign titled “Good For You”, launched in October 2019.
Sam’s Club
In November 2019, Sam’s Club, an American chain of membership-only warehouse club retail stores owned and operated by Walmart, announced the signing of Olympic stars Usain Bolt and Allyson Felix for an ad campaign that promoted its new mobile checkout app.
Funland Jamaica
Funland, a family-themed park in Jamaica, roped in Bolt as an official brand ambassador in 2018.
As part of the deal, Bolt endorsed the theme park’s promotional content on his social media handles.
Soul Electronics
Soul Electronics, an audio equipment company, roped in the Jamaican sprinter as a sponsored athlete in June 2012. Following the deal, it released two Bolt-themed headphones.
In 2016, Soul Electronics extended its deal with the Olympic star, who thus became an official brand ambassador of the company.
Investments
Bolt Mobility
In 2018, Bolt and Dr Bita Sarah Pishevar Haynes launched Bolt Mobility in Miami Beach, Florida.
Bolt Mobility is a micro mobility app that provides rides, food delivery, scooters, and car-sharing services.
Champion Shave
In 2016, Usain Bolt founded the Champion Shave brand in Jamaica. The brand makes razors and other personal hygiene products.
Wylde
Wylde is an Irish esports organisation that was founded in 2021.
In March 2022, Usain Bolt became a Wylde co-owner.
Enertor
Enertor, a Suffolk-based insole company, announced its partnership with Usain Bolt in July 2016.
As part of the deal, Bolt became the company’s official brand ambassador. A month later, he announced that he had became a minority stakeholder in the company.
