Roger Federer is a marketing powerhouse on his own, and it’s best put in Nike’s former tennis director Mike Nakajima’s words – “If you’re a company, who wouldn’t want somebody like Roger working with you?” Even after retirement, the Swiss Maestro reportedly minted a calm $90.7M in pre-tax gross earnings, according to Forbes, in 2024. Still rocking the fashion industry with charm, the sport’s gentleman recently made a pre-event appearance for the Super Bowl LIX on behalf of his co-funded ‘On Running’ sports brand. And it wasn’t all work and no play. The 20-time Slam winner joined Sesame Street’s Elmo for a hilarious commercial. The fast-growing label later hit back with a surprise move after Elmo took a subtle dig over its misinterpreted brand logo.
The former World No. 1 made one of the smartest moves after pooling his resources into On Running, whose revenue stood at $2 Billion as of 2023. He is a 3% stakeholder (worth $180M in 2021) in the Zurich-based company, and his investments have paid off. The sporting label is aligned with tennis stars like Polish No. 1 Iga Swiatek and Australian Open semifinalist Ben Shelton. Moreover, On enhanced its celebrity catalog after tapping into big names like Zendaya and FKA Twigs. While its robust presence at the Paris Olympics only furthered its agenda, the company was yet to clarify the long-drawn confusion around its brand name.
On faced numerous updates about users mistaking their logo as ‘QC.’ However, the 2025 Super Bowl presented the perfect opportunity to clear the air. Naturally, Federer also tuned in for the lighthearted commercial and highlighted putting a lot of thought into crafting a memorable clip for their audience. To spice things up, during a conversation on the commercial set with Sesame Street’s Elmo, the muppet character hilariously pointed out that the logo actually read “QC” and not “On.” “Mr. Roger Federer, why does it say Q and C on your shoes,” to which the Swiss veteran replied, “That’s O and N for On.” In utter disbelief, Elmo continued: “Well, you know, Elmo knows his alphabet, and that’s definitely a Q and a C.”
Later, to much hilarity, On Running took to their official Instagram handle to clarify the actual interpretation of their company logo. The $2B company made a change to its page’s bio, which now reads: “It’s On. (Not QC.)”
For those unaware, Federer previously spoke about fans misreading the company’s logo saying: “I think it’s great! The fact that people sometimes misread the On logo as ‘QC’ is something we’ve laughed about for years, and honestly, I’ve always thought it would be fun to make an ad to finally clear it up. So why not embrace it with humor and personality? Having Elmo call it out makes it even better.”
However, On Running’s brand promotion commitment isn’t the only one reserved on the Swiss legend’s schedule, the 43-year-old often campaigns with Uniqlo for their ambassadorship programs.
Roger Federer lends his A-game fashion profile with a ‘cool’ tip for his father’s wardrobe
Swiss icon Roger Federer made a monumental decision in 2018 by shifting his allegiance to Uniqlo, after spending 24 years in a lucrative partnership with Nike. While his tie-up with the Japanese clothing house grossed him a 10-year $300M contract, the 20-time Major winner has his priorities set straight when it comes to suggesting an upgrade for his dad’s wardrobe.
During a promotional clip on Uniqlo’s Ambassadorhip account on Instagram, the former World No. 1 reserved a few clothing ideas for his father, Robert Federer. He said: “I would recommend it to my Dad, you know, he’s 80 years old – he could wear a jacket like this, no problem, the t-shirt I think he could do as well – the combo, I’m not sure, but he’s a cool guy.”
Federer also lent a few wardrobe recommendations for his identical twin sons, Leo and Lenny. “I would recommend it to my boys, you know, because they do play golf, tennis and they go to school, and they want to have something that is also very comfortable.”
For now, the Swiss veteran is focused on upping On Running’s campaign for the much-anticipated Super Bowl showcase, slated to kick off on Sunday, February 9.
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