Bernie Ecclestone Capitalizes on Mugging with Hublot Ad

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed)
Dec 8th 2010 at 6:02PM

Late last month Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone and his girlfriend were robbed outside his offices in London. The thieves reportedly punched and kicked Ecclestone and made off with some $300,000 in jewelry – including a special-edition Hublot wristwatch – leaving the octogenarian bruised and battered.

Never one to shy away from controversy or turn away an opportunity, however, Ecclestone has appeared in an ad for Swiss watchmaker Hublot bringing further attention to the incident.

The ad for the official Formula One timekeeper features a photo of Ecclestone's bruised face, accompanied by the quote "See what people will do for a Hublot". It is set to run this week in both the Financial Times and the International Herald-Tribune.

Tags: bernie ecclestone, ecclestone, f1, formula 1, formula one, hublot

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Crimes and Misdemeanors

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

reallytorkedoff Dec 8th 2010 6:07PM

Buy a Hublot and someone might beat the cr*p out of you to steal it.

That might backfire. I wouldn't want to own something that would beat or kill me to steal.

reallytorkedoff Dec 8th 2010 9:44PM

Wow, I mangled that last sentence, didn't I?

Also, did you notice that "F1 King Power" could be read differently with the low resolution of this picture?

Alex C Dec 8th 2010 7:19PM

Seems both misguided (why would I want a watch people will beat me up for?) and very distasteful. I'd rather get a Zenith, Vulcain or IWC and remain bruise-free.

jasonfgd Dec 8th 2010 7:19PM

The marketing thesis is the robbers knew the value of, and specifically went after, his watch.

Would Hublot have shown a picture of his burial plot if he would've been killed? "Hublot, a watch to die for." (excuse the dangling preposition)

Marie Dec 8th 2010 7:41PM

I understand your points, it is shocking. Obviously all luxury brands get attention. But let's put it in perspective, it is not a year long campaign, going to be published only once in two publications. They want a buzz, they got it.
Obviously will generate many comments, some might think it is funny, so might think it is terrifying. Advertising is sometimes all about being controversal, it is risky to think outside of the box, but it makes people react/think/debate, I like it.

reallytorkedoff Dec 8th 2010 9:44PM

How about "Hublot, a watch for which to die"?

No more dangling preposition.

It's still the wrong message, though.

mm Dec 8th 2010 9:09PM

The idea of the ad is great. But the message is wrong. It puts the thieves in a sympathetic position (sort of like, "can you blame them?"). Instead, I'd have turned it around and put the focus on Ecclestone. Here are some other phrases that could've been used (note, these are just of the top of my head):

To show the dedication of an owner to the brand
"I'd go through anything to hold onto my Hublot."

To show off the watch's durability using a familiar phrase:
"Both of us can take a lickin' but we'll still keep tickin'"

or figure out a way to play on the Shakespeare quote: "Time is the justice that examines all offenders.”

$.02

garzacapitalist Dec 8th 2010 9:29PM

I admire the kick a$$ man! He has the true spirit!

Lee Dec 13th 2010 11:20AM

I think it's amazing the amount of news coverage this ad has had. It's another great example of the power of advertising. I hope it helps them in the long run.

Here's another good article about the topic: http://morethanbranding.com/2010/12/13/hublot/

Bruno Dec 13th 2010 3:46PM

I admire that Ecclestone has the courage to put his face like that on an ad, but I am also quite happy that this happened to him. He does not care for the sport (F1) and is willing to cancel the best places (Monaco, Montreal) in hopes to get more money. I cannot say I like him.