Paris, 30 January 2012

2012 is a pivotal year for le coq sportif, which is celebrating both its 130th anniversary and the signing of its partnership with the Tour de .

The company was founded in 1882 by Émile Camuset, an enthusiast and a visionary who offered a wide range of affordable sporting products for amateurs and professionals alike. The Le Coq Sportif trademark was registered in 1950, the same year that the leaders' jerseys for the 1951 were ordered. The le coq sportif Spring-Summer 2012 advertising campaign again features enthusiasts, amateurs and top sporting icons: they are all heroes, in their championships or in their daily lives. No casting was required for this campaign: these heroes are all friends of the brand.

Each understated advertising image presents, in a nutshell, our heroes and their relationship with sport – from Joakim Noah's performances the court to the youthful energy of Victor on his fixie BMX on the streets of Paris, via Francesco the Milanese bike lover.

The choice of strong, contrasting colours is reminiscent of the brand's broad colour palette inspired by the sporting world. A thin frame around each image, like the viewfinder on a camera, reinforces the family portrait feel. In a subtle nod to the French brand's anniversary, it ends with the sign-off "established in 1882" – 130 years and a huge legacy to be celebrated, the authenticity of a unique brand.

Happy anniversary, le coq sportif!

Our heroes: Joakim Noah (top basketball player), (former , successful singer and French national treasure), Francesco (bike-mad photographer, Milan), Victor (Geometricks crew, Paris), Gavin (the man behind the Spinwell blog, Birmingham), Dorian (from the band The Teenagers, Paris), Alexandre & Simon (Bicycle Store, Paris), Eliza (freestyle fixie fan, Canada).

Le coq sportif UK Contact Tea & Cake PR – Charlie Savage – [email protected] – 0044 (0) 207 012 1560 Tea & Cake PR – Beth Comer – [email protected] – 0044 (0) 207 012 1560

1882. Emile Camuset, hosier, founded the Maison Camuset in Romilly, close to Troyes, the capital of hosiery in France. The establishment combined its passion for sport, its expertise, ingenuity and knowledge of the sporting world to create innovative products designed especially for competitors. The most French of sports logos was to be worn on the chests of leading sportsmen and women, and witness some of the greatest sporting moments in history on the jerseys of the winners of the Tour de France in 1951 and for over forty years, at the Olympics in 1960, at the Argentinean and Italian victories in the World Cup in the 80s, and when Yannick Noah won the in 1983. The brand made a return to Romilly in 2010, with the establishment of the textile development centre. In 2012, le coq sportif will once more become the official supplier of the Tour de France, marking the French brand’s 130th anniversary.