AFL superstar Buddy Franklin teams up with Zenith and what that means for the brand

Luke Benedictus

Lance “Buddy” Franklin is a sporting giant in both the literal and metaphorical sense. Standing at 1.99m tall, the Sydney Swans forward is the seventh-greatest goal-kicker in AFL history and the most recent player to have notched 100 goals in a season. Today, it’s been announced that he’s been snapped up by Zenith as a “friend of the brand” – that slightly odd relationship that sits one rung (and presumably a few wads of cash) beneath “brand ambassador”.

We’re guessing that Zenith CEO Julien Tornare probably isn’t a die-hard AFL fanatic. But he clearly realises its importance in Australia where, in certain states, it’s akin to a full-blown religion.

“We are beyond excited to have Lance Franklin join the Zenith family,” Tornare said. “Through hurdles and challenges, he has continued to strive forward, push himself no matter the obstacle he faces on his path towards reaching his star, and that’s something we can totally relate with at Zenith.”

Strategically, this is an interesting move because it firms up the brand’s commitment to growing its presence in Australia. That’s significant because although Zenith is, of course, a storied brand with extremely rich sports heritage – the El Primero was the first automatic chronograph caliber in the world and powered the Daytona until 2000 –  it maintained a fairly low profile on these shores until recent years.

Of late, however, the brand has been reinvigorated. And you don’t have to be a forensic detective to figure out this had something to do with Tornare stepping into the CEO role in 2017. Zenith has certainly become a far more exciting and dynamic brand under his control with an inspired range of releases that have wowed the watch world this year.

Highlights from 2021 include the Zenith Chronomaster Sport, the Chronomaster A385 Revival, the Chronomaster Original and, of course, the Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton “Night Surfer” Time+Tide Edition. There’s no marketing spin here – Zenith’s revival in Australia has been driven by the sheer quality of their product.

By partnering with Buddy Franklin – a sportsman with a huge profile on these shores but minimal cut-through elsewhere – Zenith is effectively reaffirming its commitment to Australian growth. That feels like a smart move, too, as having relatively flown under the radar Down Under for many years, one imagines there’s substantial upside for growth. With a range of top-notch product now available, Zenith find itself in the ideal position to capitalise. But what could increase their exposure? The right local celebrity endorsement perhaps…

In the photos sent out to publicise the news, Franklin is shown wearing the Zenith Chronomaster Sport, a watch that feels ideally suited to his active lifestyle.  In Australia, it’s already a watch with a waiting list. By forging this alliance with a true AFL legend, expect availability to only get harder in the months ahead.