In 2003, BNP Paribas celebrates its thirtieth anniversary of service to tennis. This productive relationship - one of the longest in the history of sport - reflects the relations BNP Paribas enjoys with its clients, based on durability and trust.
To commemorate this milestone, BNP Paribas has introduced a label "30 years of service", featuring the racket and stars motif, which now appears on different methods of payment (cheque-books and bank cards) used by its six million customers in France. Various anniversary events will be held at the 2003 French Open Tournament. A publicity campaign will simultaneously feature posters on display in front windows, of which BNP Paribas has a total of 22 kms in its 2,200 branches throughout France.
BNP - now BNP Paribas - has been supporting tennis since 1973, when it became the Official Sponsor of the French Open Tournament. The bank has since hung its colors on the Roland Garros green back-court tarps and has worked with the French Tennis Federation (FFT) on a variety of projects, including the new center court in 2000 and the stadium expansion planned for 2006.
Over the years, BNP Paribas has strengthened its commitment to this sport and its growth. Tennis is played around the world and combines the values of performance and fair play. It provides very good visibility for the BNP Paribas brand, and has helped bolster the bank's image and notoriety at the global level. In 2000, the Group, which is present in 85 countries, unveiled its new logo at the world-famous tennis event held at Paris' Porte d'Auteuil.
In addition to its historical partnership with the French Open, a grand slam tournament, the Group sponsors a number of international draws, including:
· Davis Cup by BNP Paribas - the largest international team competition (142 participating countries)
· Junior Davis Cup by BNP Paribas - the top international team competition for future champions aged 16 and under
· BNP Paribas Masters at Paris Bercy - the world's largest indoor tournament on the ATP circuit
· Bank of the West Classic - a WTA tournament sponsored for the past 12 years by its US subsidiary BancWest, and hosting the world's top women players at Stanford University (Palo Alto, California) every summer
BNP Paribas has also established a local-level relationship with tennis in France, in close cooperation with the French Tennis Federation (FFT) :
· The Bank sponsors nearly 400 tournaments in the various regions, including the BNP Paribas Family Trophy
· It supports a number of clubs through pedagogical programs developed by the FFT
· It is actively involved in the association Fête le Mur, founded by Yannick Noah to promote social cohesiveness through tennis in sensitive neighborhoods.
In 2002, French Open Tournament and Davis Cup matches events were seen by a television viewing audience of nearly 4 billion persons around the world.
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