Yeo's CMO on partnering with Olympic medallist Max Maeder

In 2022, Singaporean soft drinks brand Yeo’s (Yeo Hiap Seng’s), made the strategic move to sponsor a young athlete, Maximilian Maeder, who at the time held the title of ruling world champion in the lesser-known sport of kite foiling. 

Since then, Maeder has put kite foiling on the map in Asia, and the sponsorship has proven to be an incredibly rewarding move for Yeo’s. Over the past two years, the brand has been a part of Maeder’s historic journey to becoming Singapore’s youngest Olympian. 

On August 9th, Singapore’s National Day, Maeder brought home an Olympic bronze medal in kite foliling, becoming Singapore’s youngest Olympian.

Yeo’s CMO Ang Chong Lee tells Campaign that the brand’s ambition around this partnership has always had a much bigger goal—to inspire a new generation. Yeo’s sponsorship of Maeder has been part of a long-term strategy to build a relationship with a new generation who are redefining the meaning of success. Prior to the Paris Olympics, Yeo’s released a brand campaign called ‘New Pioneers’, fronted by Maeder, along with several other individuals who are making an impact in unconventional pursuits, and choosing paths less-travelled than the generation before them. 

 

Lee sat down with Campaign to tell us more about how the partnership with Maeder came to be, the vision behind the New Pioneers' campaign, and how brands can maximise opportunities in sports marketing and athlete sponsorship.

1. When did Yeo’s first partner with Maeder and who’s decision was it? 

Yeo’s first came to know about Max in 2022 when he was just 15. At that time, he was not a well-known athlete in Singapore despite winning Formula Kite Youth (U19) World Championship, the European Championships and the World Sailing Youth (Under-19) World Championships. When we met him, we were immediately impressed by his personality, his maturity, and his composure for such a young man. His journey up until that point was already so inspiring that we were drawn to him and the values he displayed. All of us at Yeo’s felt strongly that Max would be a wonderful role model to the younger generation. We could not foresee the trajectory that followed, except to decide to take a bet and support him on his journey—including towards Paris Olympics 2024. And we have not looked back.

2. Why did Yeo’s decide to explore athlete sponsorship? What strategic goals did you have in mind? 

Yeo's has a history of sponsoring athletes in the past, and our decision to partner with Max aligns with our strategic goals. First, we saw a unique opportunity to collaborate with an emerging talent before he became a household name. Being part of Max's journey at the early stage, especially as he strove to qualify for the Olympics, allowed Yeo's to support and grow alongside a promising athlete. Second, we aim to highlight a new generation of Singaporeans who are redefining success and forging unconventional paths. Max's story is both emblematic and inspirational for his peers: refreshing their dreams, maximising their potential with traits that Max displayed—hard work, goal-setting, and tenacity. 

3. Tell us more about the thinking behind the 'New Pioneers' campaign. Who conceived the idea for the campaign and what were your goals for it? 

Prior to the Olympics, we launched the ‘New Pioneers’ campaign to commemorate Singapore’s upcoming 59th National Day. In this campaign, Yeo’s has proudly associated with changemakers like Max who exemplify the voices of a new generation who are challenging traditional notions of success. Max, himself, is a new pioneer, representing the sport of kite foiling which up until now has been relatively unknown in Singapore and Asia. 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Official Yeo Hiap Seng (@yeossg)

 

Produced by advertising agency Forsman and Bodenfors, the film takes viewers through the journeys of changemakers whose stories share a common message—that it doesn’t matter if no one understands you, or if you don’t have established role models before you. In chasing their own unconventional dreams, they are an example of how everyone can dream differently. 

As a 100-year-old heritage brand, Yeo’s is on a journey of always trying to engage with our customers in a relevant way and delivering what appeals to their changing tastes and desires. As our customer base evolves, so too must our marketing and outreach. Today, we have introduced many new products, evolving with the very best of what Yeo’s has to offer—freshly brewed, authentic drinks that are more nutritious while nurturing our brand DNA as a leader in Asian drinks. While we want to grow as a business, we also want to support our customers in their journey of growth and relate to them in a personal way. We appreciate that the new generation across countries like Singapore and the rest of Asia are starting to define success in new ways and we find this very refreshing. Yeo’s wants to be a part of their journey.

4. Are you pleased with how the New Pioneers campaign has performed? Has it achieved KPIs?

The ‘New Pioneers’ is part of an integrated campaign which includes a limited-edition H-TWO-O can design, a film, print, out-of-home and in-store activations, digital and mall activations. We are currently in the midst of the activations and so far, we are delivering our targets in sales and brand visibility. 

6. How would you describe your experience of working with Maeder overall? Has the partnership delivered all that you hoped it would? 

Partnering with Max has been exceptionally rewarding, not just from the value he lends to the Yeo’s brand but also the authentic co-creation process that delivered the campaign big idea—'Refresh Your Dreams’. Together with Forsman & Bodenfors, we workshopped with Max and his family to understand their journey and the wider community that supported Max. The New Pioneers ‘Refresh Your Dreams’ campaign was a true collaboration to deliver a campaign bigger than the kite foiling sport and his excellent achievement at the Games. The campaign story of a new generation of Singaporeans refreshing their dreams became a bigger and more relatable story to the entire nation during National Day celebrations.

7. Do you think sponsoring or partnering with young athletes can be a good way for brands to reach new audiences? 

There is so much untapped opportunity within sports marketing and sponsorship of young athletes in Asia. Yeo’s has had the privilege to partner with visionary organisations like the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, Singapore Sailing Federation and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth who shared our belief and desire to support athletes like Max to fulfil his dream of pursuing a career as a professional sportsman. Brands who decide to take on sponsorship in sport have a huge opportunity to not only elevate their reputation but also play an integral role to catapult the sporting careers of young athletes across Asia. 

8. Is athlete and sport sponsorship something that Yeo’s is keen to do more of in the future? 

Right now, we are focused on continuing to honour our unique partnership with Max and support him as he navigates his Olympic success fresh from his return from Paris. If there is a right 'fit', we are open to working with other athletes in the future.