Murray signs Standard Life deal

Andy Murray will defend his Wimbledon title with a new logo on his shirt sleeve after signing a lucrative three-year sponsorship deal with Standard Life Group.

The world No.5 will wear the Edinburgh-based investment group’s logo on his right arm for all tournaments from June 23 – the opening day of The Championships.

Standard Life will replace Murray’s long-term sponsor Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) and will join adidas, HEAD and Swiss watch-makers Rado in endorsing the Olympic champion.

Murray had worn the RBS logo on his arm for a decade but the bank has been distancing itself from sponsorship in the wake of the financial crisis. They ended their sponsorship of The Open golf championship and Williams Formula One team in 2010 as well as withdrawing as an official partner of the PGA of America.

A statement from Standard Life said Murray’s global appeal; including a social media fan base of over seven million people, combined with a worldwide TV audience of 1.5 billion, will “significantly increase the Standard Life Group’s brand exposure.”

“Andy is a world-class athlete who has succeeded at the very top of his profession through a combination of strong performance and a commitment to excellence,” said chief executive David Nish said. ”These qualities, along with his dedication and ambition, are very important to Standard Life and its people. He is an inspirational individual and we are excited to be beginning this relationship with him.”

“Standard Life Group has for some time been searching for a partner to help increase the global exposure of our brand,” said Graeme McEwan, Standard Life’s group director of communications and brand. ”In Andy, we are delighted to have found someone who can give us that global reach and also shares our values. Andy’s playing schedule takes him to all of our key markets which will help build a significantly greater understanding and awareness of our Group of companies around the globe.”

Many had expected Murray to sign a string of new sponsorship deals in the wake of his first Grand Slam victory at the 2012 US Open, but Matt Gentry, managing director of Murray’s management company, 77, said that finding a partner that matched Murray’s own values was the priority.

“We’ve worked closely with Lagardere Unlimited, our commercial consultants, to find the right partnership for Andy, which not only fits with what Andy stands for, but that also works with Andy’s global schedule that sees him travelling and competing for most of the year,” Gentry said.

“Standard Life is an exciting partnership and we’ve got plenty of ideas for building on it over the coming months and years.”

Murray will appear in promotional campaigns for Standard Life while the group’s branding is now featured on the two-time Grand Slam champion’s website.

“I’m very excited to be working with Standard Life,” said Murray. “I’ve taken my time to find the right partner, as it was important to me to find a company that shares the same values, and also understand the demands of my sport.

“Standard Life started in Scotland and are now operating successfully around the globe, and there are many parallels with my own career and story as a player. I’m looking forward to the next three years, and hopefully beyond.”