How did the partnership with TAG Heuer come about? Was it through the existing relationship with Red Bull Racing?
Yes, it certainly helped. We actually had our first meeting with TAG Heuer at the Geneva International Motor Show last year. TAG Heuer had partnered with Red Bull Racing a year ahead of us and we had already met informally in the paddock. We are two heritage brands and TAG Heuer is even older than we are and when you look at the history of the two brands they are a great match. It’s surprising that we didn’t get together before.
How do you see the partnership developing?
We have kicked off this week with two watches, one for Aston Martin the brand and one for Aston Martin Racing. We are now working on special versions of other watches up to and including something that could be unique and work with a car, and we are even considering incorporating the watches into our cars. The great thing about working with TAG Heuer is that the whole team is very open-minded and that suits us very well. You can then overlay the Formula 1 connection and it works perfectly. We even share a brand ambassador, Tom Brady, with TAG Heuer.
Jean-Claude Biver has spoken about a 360-degree partnership. What does this mean specifically for Aston Martin?
You can see the new GT3 car on our stand with the TAG Heuer logo on it, so this signals the return of TAG Heuer to endurance racing in the WEC championship, which is where the brand made its debut in motorsport sponsorship. We are the only British car manufacturer currently competing but other brands are entering and the more competitors you have, the more meaningful a win is for the team and the more interesting the race is for the viewer.
How important is it for you to have access to fans of high-end watches?
Almost every customer we have that comes into our showrooms, whether male or female, is into watches. The similarities are remarkable and if you think about the car business and collecting cars, the same is true for watches. Whenever you talk to car people the conversation is always about cars and watches. And among those people everybody has a TAG Heuer. They will have a Monza, a Monaco or a Carrera. I have six, five of which I bought privately years ago, long before I joined Aston Martin.
Are we likely to see a presence from Aston Martin at watch fairs?
Yes, it is part of the attraction for both of us. We have the door open for TAG Heuer at the motor shows and concours d’élégance where we are present and it would be great for us to have a presence at the world’s major watch shows. Mr Biver sets a very high bar in terms of marketing and my job as Chief Marketing Officer of Aston Martin will be to run fast to keep up with him.
