Canon today announced in an exclusive press conference two sports sponsorship agreements which will bolster support for Singapore’s sporting talents.
A new three-year partnership with Singapore’s swimming star, Joseph Schooling, will see the Olympic & Asian Games gold medalist, and World Championships bronze medalist as the newest brand ambassador for Canon.
Concurrently, Canon is also celebrating its 10th year of partnership with the Singapore Bowling Federation (SingaporeBowling) and renewing its agreement to empower SingaporeBowling to continue grooming outstanding local bowlers.
Partnership with Joseph Schooling
The partnership with Joseph will span from 2018 to 2021. As a Canon brand ambassador, Joseph will be fronting Canon’s marketing campaigns, across print and digital platforms.
He will also lend support through appearances at Canon events for deeper engagements with the Canon community network of customers and photography fans.
Colin and May Schooling, parents of Joseph, will also be featured alongside Joseph in Canon’s marketing campaigns.
Colin is already familiar with some of Canon’s enterprise products and services and May has been an avid Canon user for years, capturing Joseph’s key moments in his journey to earning his place among the best in in the world.
At the event, Joseph expressed his appreciation for the sponsorship and mentioned that he is delighted to represent Canon and show the world that one can succeed in unconventional ways out of the corporate world, such as being an athlete or an artist.
Mr. Melvyn Ho, Senior Vice President and Head of Singapore Operations, Canon Singapore, also mentioned that Canon is delighted to be supporting Joseph in his sporting endeavours, citing that he is a great role model for youths.
Marking 10 Years of Partnership with SingaporeBowling
Canon celebrates a decade of partnership with SingaporeBowling this year and will renew its annual agreement as an Official Partner.
This renewal highlights Canon’s continuing dedication to nurturing young sportspeople in Singapore. Since 2002, SingaporeBowling has earned major accolades in the international bowling arena, including six Asian Games gold medals and 12 SEA Games gold medals.
Mrs. Jessie Phua, President, Singapore Bowling Federation (SBF) shared her appreciation for the past 10 years of partnership at the press conference.
When asked by media on how the corporate partnership has benefited the SBF in terms of grooming champions, she replied that it affirms the organisation’s beliefs and goals. This is especially so as the support of a global brand like Canon gives the SBF added determination to embark on revolutionary grooming approaches and she mentioned that the morale boost is definitely priceless.
Ultimately, Mrs. Jessie Phua shared that the most key benefit of the partnership is not the funding or financial aspect but rather the idea of working together to champion good work life balance and the unwavering support given to local athletes.
The bowlers present (who will be representing Singapore at the Asian Games 2018) – Jaris Goh, Shayna Ng, Bernice Lim and Basil Ng – were in agreement with Mrs. Jessie Phua on the numerous ways the partnership with Canon has benefitted SBF and their own personal development.
One of the bowlers, Shayna Ng, also shared that the funds provided by Canon were also extremely critical during the athletes’ developmental phase and allowed them to have better facilities and access to training resources.
Celebrating Excellence through the Asian Games 2018
On the regional level, Canon is a sponsor for the 18th Asian Games which will take place in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, from 18 August to 2 September 2018.
Canon will be on-site to provide behind-the-scenes technical support, advice and maintenance services of cameras and lenses to members of the media covering the Asian Games 2018. Canon’s diverse range of consumer and enterprise products and services will also provide further operational support at the Asian Games.
Both Joseph Schooling and the Singapore National Bowling team will be featured in Canon’s Asian Games integrated brand campaign in Singapore across print and digital platforms. The campaign aims to express how Canon celebrates excellence through sportsmanship and brings the unique experience of the triumph, trials and excitement of the Asian Games 2018 even closer to fans across Asia.
Practicing Kyosei through Contribution to Sports
Canon actively pursues the philosophy of kyosei, which means – all people, regardless of race, religion and culture, harmoniously living and working together for the common good. The development of athletes in their quest for further excellence, promotion of sporting activities and an active lifestyle are some of several ways through which Canon expresses kyosei.
Looking Forward
Mr. Melvyn Ho expressed Canon’s interest to both further the partnerships as well as potentially to further support for local sporting talent at the press conference. He highlighted that Canon’s support towards local sporting talent is linked to the belief that the stories of these athletes can help to bring the nation together.
Both he and Mrs. Jessie Phua were also in agreement that the partnership greatly demonstrated the idea that sport is not just about competition but also has a fun side and can be a lifestyle option.
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