Neymar Jr. is Above's new ambassador; the athlete will have his own line of antiperspirants
Above is now soccer player Neymar Jr.’s antiperspirant brand. Baston Aerossóis, the manufacturer of Above, has just signed a contract with NR Sports—the company responsible for managing Neymar Jr.’s career and image—to make the athlete the brand’s global ambassador for the next three years. The value of the contract was not disclosed by the parties, but this is the largest marketing contract Baston has ever signed since the launch of Above in 2018. The new partnership was announced on Monday, August 2, 2021.
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Under the agreement, Above will launch an exclusive line of antiperspirants bearing Neymar Jr.’s name and will have the right to use the player’s image in all of its communications, including advertisements, online and offline media, social media, videos, products, and point-of-sale materials.
Excited about the news, the star player recalls that he already identified with the brand even before the partnership. “I once saw an Above campaign that talked about ‘sweating it out in life.’ I thought it was very creative, and I definitely related to it a lot, because all my family and I did was work hard just to survive and then strive for success. So, when they presented me with the possibility of a partnership, I was really excited that we could do a lot of cool things together,” he said.
Neymar Jr.’s arrival is part of Above’s marketing initiative to increase the brand’s visibility among all audiences. Last year, the company carried out four charitable initiatives with TV host Luciano Huck, including the donation of a home to a family served by the Central Única das Favelas (CUFA).
The choice of Neymar Jr. as Above’s new ambassador is also linked to a shared sense of purpose. “He is an extremely well-liked, polite, and humble young man who helps others and has a good heart. That’s exactly what Above is all about,” says Gustavo Malucelli Bacila, CEO of Baston.
In addition, the brand has its sights set on the World Cup, scheduled for November 21 through December 18, 2022, and its qualifying rounds, when Neymar Jr. is expected to gain even more global exposure. “He is considered one of the most influential people in the world and is the greatest soccer idol of the current generation of the sport, which is a national passion. We’re certain that he will, once again, play a key role in leading the Brazilian national team forward and will be loved by all Brazilian fans, who come together and get involved during these moments,” says Bacila, adding: “This aligns perfectly with our goal of becoming the national leader in antiperspirants and gaining global visibility to bring Above—a 100% Brazilian brand—to the international market.”
Neymar Jr.'s positive image is key to the brand maintaining double-digit annual sales growth and taking the national lead in market share and begin its international expansion. In addition to more aggressive marketing, Bacila points out that these challenges will also be overcome through the investments Baston has been making in cutting-edge technology to streamline its entire aerosol production process.
“This vertical integration will kick off next year with two major openings: our steel can factory, which will have the capacity to produce more than 180 million units per year, and our new aerosol filling plant, which will be dedicated to producing more than 200 million units of Above products. “We are making these investments and focusing on vertical integration so that our products will be of ever-higher quality and at increasingly affordable prices,” explains Bacila.
