Women's tennis eyeing celebrities to land them new sponsor

Washington, Aug 21 (ANI): The Women's Tennis Association is hoping a little star power will help it line up another major sponsor and hook fans with title sponsor Sony Ericsson set to depart at the end of this year.

The latest iteration of its 'Strong is Beautiful' campaign gives top billing to celebrities such as soul queen Aretha Franklin, actor Stanley Tucci and business magnate Richard Branson instead of players.

The campaign kicks off on Tuesday ahead of the US Open, which begins on coming Monday.

"This is the first campaign where we have tapped into celebrities. Every single one of these celebrities is a fan of women's tennis," The New York Post.com quoted Andrew Walker, the WTA's chief marketing officer, as saying.

In 2005, Sony Ericsson inked an $88 million, six-year deal that was extended for another two years in 2010.

Women's tennis is in talks for a new title sponsor, although it said it has already replaced the lost dollars.

The association says it banked over 160 million dollars in sponsorships over the past 18 months, thanks to new deals with cosmetics brand Oriflame, watchmaker Rolex, airline Jetstar and athletic clothing brand Peak, among others.

"We have more than made up for the lost title revenue," Walker said. (ANI)