Why Hublot's pitch at cricket is a smart play

The watch industry is nothing if not traditional — and this habitualness extends into the realm of brand partnerships. Formula 1, tennis, car brands, yachting, the Olympics and other top-tier aspirational sporting and cultural events. These are the happy hunting grounds for Swiss marketing executives hoping to leverage a new audience for their finely wrought, ticking products.  Cricket, though. That's not an avenue traditionally known for its high-profile timekeeping tie-ins. Which is why Hublot, who have been official partners of the ICC Cricket World Cup since 2015, might, just quietly, have a hit on its hands. And the reason is simple. For all that large parts of the world might view cricket as something of a niche colonial sport, its appeal is far from narrow – it's the second most popular sport in the world, pipped at the post only by football (or soccer, depending on where you are). One-and-a-half billion people are reported to have tuned into the 2015 Cricket World Cup, compared to, say, 98 million for the last Super Bowl. The fact that it's a less competitive endorsement environment must certainly have its appeal.  Hublot's cricket pitch has certainly seen significant traction in Australia — which makes… Read More