The oldest major sporting event in the UK, the Boat Race, has recently announced a new long-term partnership with luxury fashion house CHANEL.
The Boat Race between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge is the face of rowing, drawing over 250,000 spectators to the banks of the Thames, and many millions more via its live BBC television broadcast. It also captures an audience via the preceding live-streamed fixture series, including other high-performance teams including Oxford Brookes and Leander Club, aiding the preparations for the main event. This partnership signposts CHANEL’s only endeavour into sports sponsorships to date.
Gabrielle Chanel often saw the interrelation between sportswear and fashion and, as an active sportswoman, focused on freedom of movement in women’s sporting attire- at a similar time to the first Women’s Boat Race in 1927. This for one makes it appear more suitable than previous sponsors – cryptocurrency investment firms are not particularly synonymous with sporting excellence, nor do they provoke an abundance of mainstream appeal.
As the only annually broadcast event in the British rowing calendar, the Boat Race naturally carries the reputation of the sport to casual viewers and the wider population – I’ve previously written on rowing’s ‘posh problem’ and the public perception of the two institutions at the helm of the event is only congruent in preserving this image. The titular addition (as ‘The CHANEL J12 Boat Race’) of an exclusive, luxury fashion brand could then be read as a standing of elitism and exclusivity. The Boat Race evidently understands its responsibility in the image of the sport, and works towards giving back to it – seen in The Boat Race Fund, and The Youth Boat Race, in collaboration with Fulham Reach Boat Club. Although terms of the relationship between CHANEL and The Boat Race have not been disclosed (we cannot see on both sides), perhaps their involvement in this side of the event would be worthwhile.
The aforementioned worldwide prominence of CHANEL certainly brings lots to the Boat Race – its name alone has potential to add to the already millions-strong viewership. It also sheds light on the importance of sponsorship to rowing, as a sport that is rarely able to pose economic incentives and support.
Siobhan Cassidy, Chair of The Boat Race Company Ltd, said: “We’re very confident that their involvement will help us take the event to new places and new people, as well as enhancing it for our millions of existing followers.”
Sponsorships over the years have boosted the event’s profile and potential to increase the opportunities available to athletes. Perhaps the upcoming years will see the crews sporting the J12 watches from CHANEL. The No. 5 seat may just smell particularly sweet.
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