ATP launches art series by world's top tennis players - to be auctioned for charity

The ATP has commissioned the world's top tennis players to create a series of one-of-a-kind self-portraits in celebration of their qualification for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, to be played at The O2 in London from 21st-28th November.

The world's leading players have used their tennis skills to create individual masterpieces by hitting paint covered tennis balls against large art canvases. Each canvas was overlaid with a stencilled image, which, when removed, revealed a unique self-portrait showing one of the player’s signature moves on court.

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals sees the Top 8 men's tennis players in the world battle it out against each other for the last title of the season. Players compete for South African Airways 2010 ATP Rankings points throughout the season in a bid to earn one of the eight coveted berths and a chance to win the $1.6m prize money on offer for the winner.

The artwork created by the final eight players will be exhibited for public viewing in Central London in early November, and during tournament week at the new Fan Zone at The O2. The artwork then will be auctioned off for charity with tennis fans around the world getting the chance to bid on a rare piece of art created and signed by their favourite player.

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have already qualified for the tournament. The remaining six places are still up for grabs, as a chasing pack featuring the likes of Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick continue to battle for rankings points at ATP World Tour events during the remainder of the season in order to finish among the Top 8.

Nadal, the 2010 Wimbledon, Roland Garros and US Open champion, is looking forward to returning to London in November. "Making the artwork was fun and something I've never done before. It's a great way to celebrate the World Tour Finals coming back to London. Last year the crowd and the stadium were amazing although I didn't play my best tennis.

"Hopefully this year I will arrive playing well again and will try to do my best in front of the London fans who add such a special feeling to the event", said the World No.1.

Federer, a four-time winner of the season-ending tournament, has qualified for the event for a ninth consecutive year. "They staged a fantastic event at The O2 last year and I look forward to returning in November and finishing the season strong. It was great fun being invited to create my self-portrait and I'm excited to see how the finished artwork looks hanging in the gallery", said the Swiss.

The tournament is the world's biggest indoor tennis event, where each of the top eight players are drawn to play a minimum of three round-robin matches to determine which four players advance to the knockout semi-finals. Tickets are available online at www.BarclaysATPWorldTourFinals.com.

Sally Shire, global brand development director, Aviva plc said: "We’re delighted to be supporting National Theatre Live, bringing the best of British theatre productions to international audiences in the comfort and convenience of their local cinemas. As the world's sixth largest insurance group, Aviva is well-placed to share the National Theatre's ambition to grow this innovative programme in scale and stature. We look forward to seeing audiences increase over the coming season and enjoying the 'National Theatre experience' on the big screen".

Nicholas Hytner, director of the National Theatre, said: "We are hugely grateful to Aviva for their support. We could not have initiated the experimental pilot season of National Theatre Live without Arts Council investment; its success has now enabled us to attract a generous corporate sponsor. I very much look forward to a long and exciting international collaboration".

National Theatre Live performances are filmed live in high definition and broadcast via satellite to over 300 cinemas around the world, live in Europe and some US cities, and time-delayed in countries further afield. There are over ninety venues in the UK alongside venues in the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Scandinavia and Europe. The performances at the National are nominated in advance to allow cameras greater freedom in the auditorium.

PHS Direct is keen to demonstrate its social responsibility, and wants to work with the forestry industry who are key in creating the paper products that it sells.

However, the idea behind the project goes deeper than that. James Clark, Managing Director of PHS Direct, explains: "We wanted to support a project that will have a positive effect on the environment, but that also was able to engage with our staff, suppliers and customers in a very real and tangible way.

"The majority of our staff at our Dordon operational centre live within ten miles of the Forest, and this enables them to really see the impact of the project, and allows them to make great use of the Forest over the years. We have already seen our staff enjoying and using the Forest with their families, and we are confident that PHS Direct's involvement will deepen that connection."

PHS Direct specialises in the provision of quality washroom, hygiene and other workplace consumables on a direct supply basis, throughout the UK. Its product range includes paper towels and toilet tissue and their dispensers, soap products and their dispensers, vending consumables including feminine and general hygiene products, air freshening, cleaning products, paper products, antibacterial and first aid products, wipes and cloths, bags and other consumables. The company will make a contribution to The National Forest for every box of paper it sells, which will result in 5,000 trees being planted every year for at least three years.

PHS Direct's involvement is also galvanising their suppliers, who are contributing to the sponsorship activity as well. Clark says "We work with responsible suppliers who share our outlook, and we're delighted that they are able to come on board with The National Forest project as well".

Sophie Churchill, Chief Executive of the National Forest Company, said: "We're really fired up by the enthusiasm of PHS Direct for the Forest. It's a wonderfully creative company to work with and it will be great to have the benefit of their suppliers' involvement too".

The site is currently being prepared, with planting due to start in Spring 2011. Clark says "It's an exciting project that will develop over the years, and we are looking forward to creating a woodland that can be utilised and enjoyed for generations to come".

Photographer Christopher Beech © The National Forest Company

Last week Somerset were pipped at the post in the race for the championship title by Nottinghamshire and lost out by the narrowest of margins in the T20 final against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl last month.

Speaking prior to the county's disappointing loss to Warwickshire (on Saturday) in the final of the CB40 at Lord's, M.J.Baker's managing director Malcolm Baker said he was proud of his involvement with Somerset: "I think that since I have been involved with Somerset they have just seemed to have got better and better. We are all hoping that we can win some silverware this season".

He went on: "Somerset are a fantastic club to work with right the way down from chief executive Richard Gould to the commercial department and the kitchen and waiting staff - they are all very friendly, so we are delighted to be able to continue our shirt sponsorship for another year".

The club's chief executive said: "It's great to have a regional sponsor involved on our shirts who takes such an interest in the cricket".

The Somerset boss went on: "M.J.Baker are great supporters of the club and I am pleased that we have been able to provide them with a platform for their business to grow as it has done over the past few years".

Picture: Malcolm Baker (second from left), the MD of M.J.Baker Foodservices Ltd in Newton Abbot, is pictured with Alfonso Thomas, Craig Kieswetter and Marcus Trescothick.

Kirstin Peltonen, Head of the Annual Fund, The RSC, said: "brandmeetsbrand really demonstrated through the pitching process that they have the ability to see the sponsorship opportunities, add value and drive our new business programme forward during this momentous time in the RSC's history. We are delighted to be working with Karen and her team".

The Royal Shakespeare Company will also be celebrating its fiftieth birthday in 2011, is planning a six-week season in New York in that summer and is playing a lead role in the London 2012 Festival, presenting the World Shakespeare Festival.

brandmeetsbrand was set up by Director Karen Morris in 2003, since then it has gone on to help media owners, charities, venue operators, event organisers and governing bodies to develop commercial strategies which deliver long-term partnerships.

The company has enjoyed a spectacular 2010, with the news that the partnership they developed between Jazz FM and Southern Comfort had yielded a prestigious Sony Radio Academy Award. The Southern Comfort Big Easy on Jazz FM won a Sony Silver for Best Use of Branded Content.

They have also created partnerships between Jazz FM and a range of other international brands, including Cunard, Fred Olsen Cruises, Financial Times, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Pizza Express and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Richard Wheatly, Jazz FM's Chairman, commented: "Karen was involved with us from the beginning and secured some great launch partners including the FT, Pizza Express and Yamaha. I found Karen and her team to be professional and committed to helping us create a sustainable revenue stream. Sponsorship and promotions now account for a significant proportion of our overall revenue. I would definitely recommend Karen's work and would be happy to work with her in the future".

Other brandmeetsbrand clients include rock radio station Planet Rock, whose Head, Malcolm Bluemel said: "We are delighted to be working with Karen and her team at brandmeetsbrand. They have a winning combination of great experience with a unique approach to sponsorship that is a perfect fit for our station. Planet Rock could not have found a better agency to broaden the scope of our brand".

brandmeetsbrand has also partnered SEAT with SNO!Zone, the UK's premier real snow slopes at Xscape. SEAT will provide a fleet of twelve vehicles to SNO!Zone and run a number of events on the slopes in Milton Keynes, Castleford and Braehead. This is the latest in a range of partnerships BMB has developed for the X-Leisure Group, having previously delivered long-term agreements with brands including Coca-Cola, Eurosport, Relentless, AA Travel Insurance and Walls.

It will focus specifically on technical innovation around the capture and offshore storage of CO2, the policy and regulatory aspects of CCS and look at what the UK needs to do to capitalise on the commercial opportunities the technology offers – especially in developing a national skills capacity.

ScottishPower is investing almost £5 million over the next five years, which will fund up to twelve full-time researchers working at University of Edinburgh and Imperial College London. ScottishPower will seek to leverage this funding through further contributions from Government and international sponsors which it hopes will consolidate the UK’s growing reputation as a centre of excellence for this embryonic industry.

Nick Horler, ScottishPower’s Chief Executive, said: "This is a terrific step forward for ScottishPower and will help us in our ambitions to make CCS a reality in the UK by 2014. I am enormously proud to be associated with the work of some of the world’s leading authorities on CCS. Their input will be vital to improve our understanding of this essential technology and help us to reduce CO2 emissions and tackle climate change".

Professor Stuart Hazeldine, ScottishPower Chair of CCS at University of Edinburgh, said: "Developing a CCS industry in the UK will capitalise on our established offshore and engineering expertise and make a significant contribution to the economy of the country, creating new jobs and skills.

"I am pleased to be building on the CCS research results the University of Edinburgh has already achieved with ScottishPower, and to welcome Imperial College London as partners. The expertise of all three organisations will help to maintain the UK's leading position in CCS".

Professor Nigel Brandon, Director of the Energy Futures Lab at Imperial College London, added: "CCS is a technology that has a real potential to reduce CO2 emissions globally, but there remain a number of technological, political and economic challenges to be overcome if this technology is to be widely adopted. I am delighted that ScottishPower is working in partnership with the College and the University of Edinburgh to tackle these important issues.

"Our aim is to help ScottishPower achieve its targets for CCS technology, and to provide our staff and students with exciting opportunities to translate their research into real industrial impact in this important field".

"With over fifty hours coverage on BBC and a combined global audience reaching over 100 million, the tournament will give vast exposure to 12bet.com's brand so it's easy to see their motivation behind getting involved with snooker. We hope they enjoy what should be a great tournament and look forward to building a strong relationship with them".

Rory Anderson, CEO for Europe at 12bet, said: "We are delighted to add the World Open to our fast growing sponsorship portfolio. This event will give our brand fantastic exposure not only in the UK but throughout Europe. We are glad to be on board and are excited about the new best of five format".

Masters champion Selby added: "It's always exciting to have a new sponsor and it seems a long time now since we had a ranking event without one. I am sure the World Open will be a great tournament. All the players are looking forward to it, myself included. We'll all be trying to win it and play our best snooker".

The nine-day tournament will feature quick-fire best-of-five frame matches and a random draw for each round.

"We look forward to becoming more involved with the club through initiatives such as The Jewson Match Day Experience and the Jewson half time competition which will give the fans a chance to interact even more with us and the club going forward!"

Gloucester Rugby's Head of Sales and Marketing, Pete Grzonka, was happy to confirm the ongoing partnership between the two parties. "We're obviously delighted that Jewson have agreed to continue as Gloucester Rugby's main sponsor. In the current economic climate, the decision to continue the sponsorship shows that top flight sport demonstrates an excellent return on investment.

"Jewson is a major UK brand and one which we share a lot of core values with. The partnership over the past three seasons has been a mutually beneficial one and we're looking forward to continuing to work with them".

Zara Hyde Peters, Chief Executive at the British Triathlon Federation, commented:

"We are delighted that Panasonic has decided to become an Official Supplier to British Triathlon. Raising the profile of our sport using the latest communications technology is very important to triathlon right now. Our communications and performance teams for triathlon rely on high quality display technology for presentation and feedback so it gives us great confidence that through our partnership with Panasonic we will be using the best equipment on the market to support our athletes in competition and on their way to London 2012 and beyond".

David Bonney, advertising and sponsorship manager at Panasonic UK, said:

"At Panasonic we put the same commitment, focus, desire and meticulous preparation that goes into winning a triathlon into the development of our products so this relationship is a great fit for us. We're delighted to be working with the British Triathlon and proud to support the entire team on their way to London 2012".

Panasonic's announcement follows successful partnerships with British Rowing, British Sailing and a number of Olympic athletes.

Reigning champion Phil Taylor will be bidding to win the event for an incredible tenth time in October, with the 32-player field of competitors being confirmed in mid-September.

As part of their online gaming, darts fans will be able to place bets on the World Grand Prix via the Bodog.com website, as well as at the Citywest Hotel's on-site betting facility.

Patrik Selin, CEO of Bodog Europe, the licensee of the Bodog brand in the UK, commented: "We have made some giant strides in establishing the Bodog brand here in the UK recently with our sponsorship with Fulham Football Club and this is another important landmark for us.

"Darts and Bodog are a perfect fit on every level".

PDC Chairman Barry Hearn said: "We are delighted to welcome Bodog.com as the new title sponsor for the World Grand Prix.

"They are an exciting brand who are emerging in the UK and we look forward to working with them in the coming months".

Four Players Championships remain for players to win a spot in the tournament, with the PDC's top sixteen players joined by the leading four Irish or Northern Irish qualifiers from the Players Championship Order of Merit and twelve further qualifiers.