UNIQLO Appoints Novak Djokovic as Global Brand Ambassador

PARIS, May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

UNIQLO today announces that it has appointed Novak Djokovic, the world's top-ranked male professional tennis player, as its global brand ambassador. The five-year partnership, which takes effect from today, will see Djokovic promoting the UNIQLO brand and UNIQLO clothing worldwide. The partnership will also include collaboration on future product lines, as well as co-developing the ultimate UNIQLO functional wear.

A preview of the collaboration's first results will be seen at this year's Roland-Garros French Open Tennis Tournament that starts on May 27, where Djokovic will debut his newly designed UNIQLO match wear to spectators in Paris and to a worldwide TV audience.

Tadashi Yanai, Chairman, President & CEO of leading global Japanese retailer Fast Retailing, commented on today's announcement saying, "We are extremely pleased to have Novak Djokovic become UNIQLO's global brand ambassador. We will use the most innovative fabrics and technologies to develop match wear that can contribute to the performance of a globally recognized and respected sports person like Novak. At the same time, UNIQLO will incorporate latest fabrics and technologies to co-develop with him the ultimate functional apparel that can be worn, and enjoyed, by people all over the world."

Yanai added, "UNIQLO and Novak share a common, mutual desire to improve people's lives and contribute to society. In addition to creating truly great clothing with new and unique value, Fast Retailing takes to heart our mission to enrich people's lives through unique corporate activities and to grow our company in unity with society. We look forward to collaborating with Novak on a number of corporate social responsibility programs around the world."

Novak Djokovic, commenting on today's announcement said, "I am honored, and also very excited, to have been appointed as the UNIQLO global brand ambassador. UNIQLO is a cool brand with strong roots in Japan, a country whose culture and way of life I respect. I have a personal philosophy which I call 'Be Unique,' and this is based on my strong passion, drive and eagerness to keep improving myself. I am passionate about being the best possible tennis player, as well as the best possible person, and I have a continuous desire to help people, especially children, who have been less fortunate than I."

Djokovic added, "I feel a natural connection with UNIQLO. To me, UNIQLO is not fast fashion, and it's not sports wear. UNIQLO is the ultimate functional wear, which is exactly what I need as both a sports person and an individual who leads a very active life. I look forward to collaborating with UNIQLO in the development of new products and to getting to know the global UNIQLO family better."

In launching the new partnership between UNIQLO and Novak Djokovic today, UNIQLO confirms that as its first corporate social responsibility activity it will manufacture a custom-designed charity UT (UNIQLO T-shirt) to sell at a select number of UNIQLO stores and online. Proceeds from the sale of this UT will be donated to the Novak Djokovic Foundation to support children's programs. Details regarding the design of the UT, as well as timing and location of sale will be announced in due course.

Pictures of today's press conference are available on http://www.image.net. You will have access through the following link: https://www.image.net/xads/actions/inuserRegistration.do

About UNIQLO and Fast Retailing

UNIQLO is a brand of Fast Retailing Co. (FR), a leading global Japanese retail holding company that designs, manufactures and sells clothing under five brands: Comptoir des Cotonniers, g.u., Princesse tam.tam, Theory, and UNIQLO. With global sales of 820 billion yen for the 2011 fiscal year ending August 31, 2011, FR is the world's fourth largest apparel retail company and UNIQLO is Japan's leading specialty retailer.

Today UNIQLO has more than 1,100 stores worldwide, namely in the U.S., U.K. France, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea, as well as Japan. UNIQLO continues to open large-scale stores in some of the world's most important cities and locations, as part of its ongoing efforts to solidify its status as a truly global brand. UNIQLO operates an integrated business model under which it designs, manufactures, markets and sells high-quality, casual apparel in line with its 'Made for All' philosophy.

With a corporate statement committed to changing clothes, changing conventional wisdom and change the world, FR is dedicated to creating great clothing with new and unique value to enrich the lives of people everywhere. For more information about UNIQLO and other FR group companies, please visit http://www.uniqlo.com or http://www.fastretailing.com

SOURCE UNIQLO