On, the Swiss running shoe brand, has partnered with Roger Federer. The Swiss tennis legend has become an investor as well as a contributing designer and representative for the brand.

The partnership was revealed in an article in the New York Times.

On has seen strong success in Europe and the U.S. since its start in Zurich in 2010 and its three founders, Olivier Bernhard, Caspar Coppetti and David Allemann, were exploring bringing a new partner and “their thoughts turned to the most famous Swiss person in the world,” according to the article.

Coppetti said, “Yes we have chocolate and watches, but Roger is one of the biggest Swiss exports ever and has done wonders for the image of Switzerland abroad.”

Federer ended his long sponsorship agreement with Nike ended in 2018. He has partnered with Uniqlo but hadn’t signed a new footwear deal.

In a statement on its website, On wrote:

Welcome to On, Roger

Meet our new team member. Roger Federer is joining On not because of any sponsorship, but because of entrepreneurship. He’s here to help us shape the future of sports.

In joining On as an entrepreneur, Roger becomes a close partner to our founders and the On team. He will use his unique experience to help take our product development, marketing and fan experiences to new levels. Roger will also play a role in developing the athlete spirit that’s at the core of our high-performing culture.

So how did this relationship come about? Unlike traditional partnerships between a brand and an athlete, it didn’t start with the typical talk about sponsorship.

When we spotted Roger wearing On shoes around the world, we just got in touch. Turns out, he has been an On fan for a while. Switzerland is relatively small and it wasn’t long before Roger was catching up with our senior leadership team over dinner.

 

But this partnership is about much more than Swiss roots. As a friendship developed it became clear he is a natural leader and entrepreneur off the court as well. We value the same things and share a passion for innovation and design.

On is attracting the fastest-growing global fan community and has joined the ranks of the leading brands in the US, Europe and Japan. Roger brings unique insight as one of the most influential and admired athletes at the top of world sport. Together, we are looking to create unique products and experiences for On fans around the world.

Roger is already working with us on new innovations in the On Lab, and we aim to finish and release them in 2020. To be first to hear more, and for exclusive content, follow us on Instagram and sign up for the On Newsletter.

You can also read more about our work with Roger in The New York Times.