NEW YORK—Though he now plays for the New York Mets, Kazuo Matsui is one of the most popular baseball players in Japan and the Mass Mutual Financial Group knows it. The group inked the shortstop—and the Mets—to a sponsorship deal last Thursday that makes Matsui the pitchman for MassMutual Life Insurance Co. and its Japanese subsidiary, MassMutual Life Insurance Co. of Japan.
The companies will be featured on rotating signage beyond the left field fence at Shea Stadium, with the company’s name and corporate logo appearing in both English and Japanese characters—the first English-Japanese advertisement ever to be featured at Shea.
Matsui, who was a prized free agent last winter and is in the first year of a three-year contract with the Mets, will be featured in MassMutual Japan’s print ad campaign in Japan as well as in its marketing materials and annual report. In addition, he will make an appearance in Japan on behalf of MassMutual Japan, whose logo also will be included on Matsui’s personal Web site, www.kazuo25.com.
In Japan, the MassMutual Japan logo and Matsui’s image in a Mets uniform will appear on billboards and buses.
“We are excited by this opportunity to team up with Kazuo Matsui and the New York Mets,” said Hidezo Hirano, president and CEO of MassMutual Japan. “He is a great role model for Japanese people, especially our professional employees.”
Hirano was at Shea to give Matsui an honorary Samuri helmet with the MassMutual Japan logo and also threw the ceremonial first pitch that afternoon against the Cincinnati Reds.
Suzanne Tougas, assistant VP for MassMutual, would not disclose the financial details, but said it is a three-year deal. The Graubard Group, New York City, handled the deal.
Tougas said Springfield, MA-based MassMutual chose Matsui because of the person he is, not just his on-field heroics.
“I think you can have great players and not necessarily good personalities and great work ethics,” Tougas said. “He matches the quality of our employees at MassMutual Japan and I think he can really help us build our brand and further help us build our name recognition in Japan.”
Matsui’s consecutive games streak of 1,213, including 1,143 in Japan and 70 with the Mets, was ironically broken the day the deal was announced.
Tougas said the deal was more significant to MassMutual Japan, but that the U.S. aspect could be elevated over the terms of the agreement.
“We would like to further enhance the brand in the Japanese market in the states, but the real concentration is on MassMutual Japan,” she said.
The deal did, however, have a viral effect in the New York market, thanks to the Mets decision to bench Matsui that day. During the broadcast on Fox Sports New York, when Matsui was shown in the dugout, mentions of his streak ending were followed up with news that he signed the MassMutual deal.
In May, Matsui signed a similar global deal with MasterCard International.
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