Joseph Schooling drives off with Toyota ambassadorship

Borneo Motors, the distributor for Toyota, has signed an agreement with Olympian Joseph Schooling for a brand ambassadorship for a sum which was not disclosed. The move will see Schooling drive three different models of Toyota vehicles over the next three years.According to The Straits Times, this includes the Toyota RAV4 which costs around SG$142,000, a 2019 RAV4 which costs around SG$150,000 to SG$160,000 and a Toyota Supra which has an estimate worth of SG$200,000 and SG$300,000. Marketing has reached out to both Borneo Motors and Schooling's PR for comment.The cars will also bear a number plate with the numbers 5039, which is the time (50.39-seconds) which clinched Schooling a gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016 for the 100-metre butterfly event.  Through the partnership, Borneo Motors and Toyota also looks to better engage younger car buyers.In a statement to the local news outlet, Jasmine Wong, Borneo Motors MD, explained that the company was up against tough competition to sign Schooling. She added that what sealed the deal for Schooling was Toyota’s willingness to put his training “above and beyond” its expectations as a brand ambassador.This includes building the partnership around his training for the Asian Games in August and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics; Schooling said to ST. Wong added that Schooling also matches many of the values Toyota embodies, which includes not being “flashy” despite being at the top, being grounded and close to family.Marketing has reached out to Borneo Motors for comment.Earlier this month, Schooling signed a brand ambassador deal with Canon for three years until 2021 to front its marketing campaigns across print and digital platforms. The swimmer also inked a deal with Hugo Boss as its first Singaporean ambassador, fronting one of its new campaigns. Schooling is also a brand ambassador for brands such as TAG Heuer, DBS, Yakult, Nestle's MILO and ONE Championship.In April, the Schooling Company also appointed Dentsu Sports Asia as commercial partner to assist Schooling in a variety of areas such as advertising and managing commercial and strategic opportunities. This includes advising on the training facilities prior to the swimmer’s major competitions and developing Schooling’s social responsibility initiatives throughout the region among others.