Watch Ambassadors 101: What they are and why brands love them

One of the most important tools in the kit of any watch brand marketing team is the ambassador. It is the role of these actors, musicians, sports stars and otherwise famous people to 'represent' the watch brand in public. The level of commitment can range from a handful of high-profile red carpet appearances (at awards shows or post-game interviews, for example) through to daily wear and even visits to the brand's manufacture and appearances at VIP client events, for example. David Beckham for Tudor, Roger Federer for Rolex, Bella Hadid for Chopard. This is the top tier of ambassadorship, a carefully formulated partnership involving dozens of lawyers and meticulous contracts. Of course, there are other ways watch brands get their wares on the wrists of the famous and influential. Lewis Hamilton won't be wearing his numerous IWC watches this year — instead, he will strap on a Richard Mille, thanks to team sponsorship. The same can be said for Daniel Craig in the role of James Bond — though interestingly enough, Omega has deals with Craig the actor and the Bond franchise more broadly. For smaller, less formal brand endorsements, say from an up-and-coming chef or content creator, it might be enough to gift a watch and invite them to some exclusive events — someone in this type of relationship is often euphemistically referred to as a 'Friend of the Brand.'

If you've ever looked at a billboard or picked up a magazine, you'll know that ambassadors are a big deal. Having said that, there's an attitude that's common among highly engaged watch enthusiasts that ambassadors don't work or that the money spent on them would be better spent elsewhere. To that, there are two answers. First of all, it absolutely does work. Panerai would likely not exist today if it wasn't for Sylvester Stallone, and the Instagram obsession we all have for watchspotting every movie, event and sporting match is a pretty good indicator that a lot of us care about what watches the rich and famous are wearing. Another point is that you may not care what the current crop of celebs are wearing, but we're willing to bet that it's impacted how you think about watch brands over the years. Rolex is one of the best examples — they've been promoting themselves as a brand of action and adventure since they strapped an Oyster watch onto Mercedes Gleitze's wrist before she swam the English Channel in 1926. Image is something carefully crafted by watch brands, and famous ambassadors are a powerful part of that strategy, providing a quick shorthand for brand personification.

Of course, the reward isn't entirely without risk for brands. The fame that makes these individuals worthy of ambassadorship is, by its very nature, fleeting. Most of the time, this isn't a bad thing; when the time in the spotlight is over, they don't have to renew the contract. The real risk with ambassadors is a sudden scandal, which can range from a misalignment of values to more catastrophic impacts on brand reputation.

Of course, brands can mitigate this risk by being conservative with their ambassadors — perhaps waiting a few years to see if they will be the right fit. But even the safest of ambassadors can suddenly go bad. At this point, it's a question of response. Is it better to say nothing and weather the storm, or if the gravity of the situation is sufficient, quickly cutting ties might be the best play? While this sort of situation is rare, it's also the sort of scenario that keeps PR teams up at night, and why they put so much care and effort into their official ambassador relationships.