Maserati at Dubai Polo Challenge
Italian automaker Maserati has teamed up with Argentine sportswear manufacturer La Martina to showcase its ties to polo and expand its fan base.
#PoloStories is a global social storytelling project anchored by a series of videos, the first of which was released on Friday, May 13. Maserati has a history with polo, so the genuineness of the campaign could help introduce Maserati and La Martina followers to the other brand.
“It’s not solely about fashion and appearance, sartorial aspect is something at the very essence, a whole culture of clothing has grown up around that,” said Ebe Sievwright, Maserati Polo Stories ambassador. “La Martina represents that, creating the equipment which represent Polo as more than just a sport.”
Polo Stories
The #PoloStories initiative will coincide with the Maserati Polo Tour 2016, with videos devoted to the origins of and information about polo. The videos will also emphasize the ties that La Martina and polo have to Maserati.
Maserati Levante
They will also follow the Maserati Polo Tour, each telling a different story at each stage, presumably including the upcoming legs in London, Soto Grande, Spain and Santa Barbara, CA. Top polo players and La Martina ambassadors will feature, shedding a light on the relationship between horse and horsepower.
In addition, each episode will feature the reveal of a limited-edition polo shirt, created by La Martina for Maserati and limited to 300 pieces.
Maserati explains that the partnership arose from the brands’ shared valuation of sports and performance excellence, and from the shared dynamic between elegance and strength, or finesse and style, that riding and racing share.
Maserati and @LaMartinaPolo present the first episode of the #PoloStories. Read more on: https://t.co/j4xxFz0V41. pic.twitter.com/2ay4UJvdZJ
— Maserati (@Maserati_HQ) May 13, 2016
The first episode begins with polo player Ebe Sievwright entering a Maserati while a voiceover underlines subtle connections between the preparation for racing and riding.
Mr. Sievwright explains his history with the sport and explains the rules and misconceptions about it, emphasizing the strength and physicality of the sport.
He goes on to explain the similarities between polo players and drivers, both of whom must have mastery over their horse and car, respectively.
“There is absolutely a Maserati of horses,” he opines in the film, highlighting thoroughbred and Argentine polo ponies. The upper limit to an individual’s capability without a good horse also echoes the world of auto racing, where a driver can only be as good as the vehicle allows.
Maserati and La Martina present: Polo Stories – Episode 1
All the videos will be shared online through the social media platforms of both La Martina and Maserati, helping to cross-pollinate their fan bases and explain the rationale behind the partnership.
From horse to car
Maserati has made its ties to polo known previously.
The automaker propelled its brand visibility with its title sponsorship of the United States Polo Association’s U.S. Open Polo Championships at the International Polo Club in Palm Beach, FL.
The USPA Maserati 109th U.S. Open Polo Championships ran for four weeks, taking place on March 31 and April 7, 14 and 21. Maserati likely gained brand exposure during this event since these matches are the highest-rated polo tournament in North America (see story).
Other automakers have also leveraged polo’s overlapping fanbase with sponsorships.
German automaker Audi was recently the luxury automotive sponsor of Greenwich Polo Club’s East Coast Open, one of the United States’ most prestigious polo competitions.
Guests had the opportunity to meet polo stars and participate in various activities at a number of unique Audi-supported hospitality events. The sponsorship further cemented Audi’s ongoing association with and support for polo (see story).
“A Polo player is like a pilot or a driver in every sense, he knows when is the right time to slow down, when is the right time to accelerate, but then you’ve gotta be able to switch on like that,” Mr. Sievwright said. “And then back down again. And the horse has six different greats, control of speed, control of your gears and the horse is fundamental.”