BNP Paribas at the forefront of sports sponsorship
BNP Paribas and its forerunner banks have been firmly engaged in the sporting world since 1955 and the commitment to the Tour de France of Banque Nationale pour le Commerce et l’Industrie (BNCI). This commitment goes beyond simple sponsorship, reflecting a deep-seated desire to support athletes at every stage of their journey, from budding hopes to top sports stars competing on the international stage. This article explores the sports commitments of Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP), with a focus on the partnership between BNP and the French fencing federation, Fédération Française d’Escrime.
School and university sport
In the 1980s, BNP, which was still a young bank, created in 1966 through the merger of the Banque nationale pour le commerce et l’industrie (BNCI) and the Comptoir National d’Escompte de Paris (CNEP), sought to strengthen its link with young people. To that end, it committed to school and university sport, signing a partnership in 1988 with Union Nationale du Sport Scolaire (UNSS). The bank took part in the cross-country skiing championships in France with an advertising vehicle present at the event.
A driver of international development
Beyond its commitment to young people, BNP saw sport as a way to reinforce its international development. As part of the bank’s organisation of junior football and rugby matches, the Lille group organised two international junior football matches between France and Belgium, as well as a France-England rugby match. These initiatives build bridges between young athletes throughout Europe.
Involvement in university sports
In 1990, Fédération Nationale du Sport Universitaire (FNSU) and BNP signed a partnership agreement, formalising a commitment already firmly established since 1980, on the organisation of the French University Fencing Cup in Montpellier, with the support of the local branch. The bank went on to commit to all national university championships, all sports combined, serving to form links with a young and dynamic sports public. In addition, FNSU provided BNP with advertising space on its page in Le Figaro Grandes Ecoles, an excellent way of promoting the bank’s image in the student world.
From office work to top-level sport
In addition to conveying the shared values of commitment, effort and team spirit through sport, the bank is mindful of the benefits of sport for its employees and encourages them to practice sports via its Sports and Cultural Associations (ASCs). In 1984, it launched the “10 km BNP” with the French Athletics Federation. The best times achieved by BNP employees in athletics at ASCs can qualify them for the finals of the France athletics championship competing alongside specialists in each discipline. The winners of each challenge, as well as the best 75 times in the overall events, are chosen to participate in this final.
Individualized coaching for athletes
Also in 1984, BNP Chairman René Thomas signed an agreement with the French Sports Minister, Edwige Avice, on the professional integration of top athletes. As part of the agreement, these athletes benefited from an adapted timetable, working half-time at the bank for a full-time-equivalent salary while continuing their training. Ensuring financial stability and a professional future, these “top-level sportsperson” contracts were aimed at athletes across all disciplines, from judo and athletics to sailing, fencing and archery. At the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, BNP had ten top athletes in different sports.
BNP Paribas Historical Archives, 2AF619
BNP continues its commitment in sport with more targeted partnerships, such as with the Tennis Federation or the French Athletics Federation. But there is another partnership, less known, the one with the French Fencing Federation.
BNP en garde!
Fencing, a strategic partnership
On 25 January 1989, BNP expanded its sporting commitment by signing a one-year partnership with Fédération Française d’Escrime (French fencing federation, FFE). This was a trial year for BNP, though the bank aimed to invest in the discipline until the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
The agreement provided financial support of one million French francs over the year, equivalent to just under half the annual budget of the FFE, which was often short of resources. The partnership went beyond mere financial support, since, as in the case of tennis, athletics or even riding (Jump HEC), the naming of the bank at fencing competitions served to heighten the exposure of its brand. In 1990, the bank’s name featured at a major international épée competition Pierre de Coubertin stadium in Paris. This naming was part of the bank’s more specific support for the French men’s and women’s épée team.
BNP pursued its commitment to young people, contributing from 1989 to 1996 to the organisation of national foil, épée and sabre fencing competitions for girls and boys aged 15 to 17. The bank’s logo was displayed at all the competitions in the national juniors circuit. These competitions were organised in cooperation with the local branches and agencies of each event.
A large part of the investment in fencing was used for communication, notably special pages in the French sports daily L’Equipe reporting on the performances of BNP fencers. In 1989, a page entitled “BNP Champions”, designed to present BNP’s top athletes, was published every first Saturday of the month in L’Equipe Magazine. In these articles, BNP’s fencers talked about their season and sporting ambitions, but also about their role at the bank and their passions outside their sport.
The BNP’s fencers
As a result of these initiatives, five high-level fencers joined the bank. For example, Philippe Delrieu worked in the marketing department of the Saint-Mandé branch, while Patrice Lhottelier joined the administrative department of the Melun branch. These fencers competed in the three fencing categories, Philippe Delrieu in sabre, Laurence Modaine, Olivier Lambert and Patrice Lhottelier in foil, and Éric Srecki in épée.
Why fencing?
Focus on the Olympic Games
Already committed to tennis and athletics, BNP chose in 1989 to commit to fencing, a sport receiving less media attention but with strong values and an impressive Olympic record. This commitment was part of a long-term strategy culminating in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Although BNP was not an official sponsor of the Games, its influence was felt through the success of the athletes under contract with the Bank. In the year that it signed its partnership with the bank, French fencing had won 89 Olympic medals since 1896, making it a strategic asset. With six medals in 1980 in Moscow, seven in 1984 in Los Angeles and three in 1988 in Seoul, the discipline continued to shine on the international stage. By supporting these athletes, BNP indirectly contributed to French successes and strengthened its image in the world of sport.
Support at the highest level
Through these initiatives, the fencers joining the bank ideally embodied the bridge between sport and business. Talking in L’Equipe on Monday 20 March 1989 about the signing of the partnership, Jean-François Lamour, Olympic sabre champion in 1984 and 1988, and French Minister of Sport between 2002 and 2007, said, “We realised that there was something to be gained from the image of fencing. It isn’t a very well-known sport, it isn’t popular, but it corresponds to the image that a company wants to convey.”
“What a great image for an economic partner: vitality and fighting spirit, nobility and tradition, loyalty and fair play!”
Alain Heilles, Director of BNP Partnerships
BNP at the heart of the 1992 Games
At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, BNP had ten top-level athletes, including five athletes on top-level sportsperson contracts: Laurence Modaine, Patrice Lhottelier, Philippe Delrieu, Éric Srecki and Olivier Lambert. Among them, Éric Srecki won the gold medal in the individual épée competition, enshrining BNP in Olympic history.
The partnership between the bank and the FFE ensures a high-profile image for the bank. The BNP logo featured on the official outfits of the French women’s and men’s teams, as well as on those of the fencers. At competitions supported by BNP, a special location was reserved for the bank’s logo. Spaces dedicated to the BNP logo were published on the advertising flyers of the competitions. This support was conditional on no BNP competitor being involved in the competition.
This commitment continued until 1996 with the Olympic Games in Atlanta.
The bank supported and strengthened French fencing for seven years at all levels. This relationship ended definitively in 2019 with the Women’s Sabre World Cup in Orleans.
Unfailing commitment
The sports DNA of BNP Paribas reflects its long-standing links with young people, its international ambitions, and its values of excellence and inclusion.
While some historic partnerships have ended, BNP Paribas continues to invest in sport, notably in tennis, which has become a key affinity area for the bank. The bank’s support for young people is notably expressed with the “Fête le Mur” association, which facilitates social inclusion through tennis, and through the “Team BNP Paribas Jeunes Talents” programme, which helps young prodigies to achieve their goals.
Other initiatives, such as the #FAAPointsForChange outreach programme in partnership with Félix Auger-Aliassime, illustrate the group’s desire to combine sporting commitment with social impact. The bank is thus perpetuating a tradition of excellence and the transmission of the values of sport.
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