Leylah Fernandez Takes Over Partnerships for the Canadian Open

Fernandez Shines in Numerous Campaigns During Canadian Open

With the Canadian Open, currently branded as the National Bank Open presented by Rogers (ca-ching), taking place the stars of tennis flocked to both Montreal and Toronto to compete on the court. Going into these events it can be difficult to decipher which athletes will come out on top, however, off the court is a different story.

It was over before it started when it came to which tennis star would hold reign regarding off-the-court partnerships. No, we aren’t referring to the legendary Serena Williams who announced her retirement but it was Canada’s own, Leylah Fernandez. Before entering the event you’d come face to face with Leylah. No, not actually. But, she was on the buses, the metro, and billboards, the point is she was everywhere, and rightfully so.

With sports being one of the largest psychographics, it’s clear why brands would want to align themselves with an asset within sports. However, over the last little while, it’s become clear that strategies are changing and brands are walking away from the major-4 sports in North America. No one made this clearer than Gatorade when they dropped the NHL to focus their attention on a new vertical in sports.

The first steps in Gatorade’s new strategy were taken when they launched their first major campaign since dropping the NHL and one of their commercials featured, Leylah. With Gatorade being a major supporter of Tennis Canada, it made the alignment between both parties only more clear. However, Gatorade was not the only major brand that used Leylah in their campaign to market around the Canadian Open, Google did as well. Strolling the streets of Montreal or Toronto, you’d be able to see the light pink background for the Pixel 6 campaign featuring Leylah on double-decker buses and metro turnstiles across the cities.

It’s an exciting time to be an up-and-coming Canadian athlete in non-traditional sports. The opportunities for growth both on and off the field are tremendous as we’ve seen others, including Leylah cash in the deals in recent months. For reference, Leylay Fernandez is now partnered with Gatorade, Google, Lululemon, Morgan Stanley, Flair Airlines, and more, how’s that for a 19-year-old Canadian athlete?

August 12, 2022 - Issue 51 of The Sport Marketeer