Boat International – September 2019

OWNERS’ CLUB

ownedbyPepsi.IgotthatdealbecauseMichael

Jacksonstoodtooclosetoaflamewhilefilming

anadvert.Theaccidentmeantthishugetour,

whichPepsiweresupporting,wascalledoff,and

leftitwithalotofmarketingcash.Isaid,“Mycar

isgreen, 7 Upisgreen,let’sputthemtogether.”

ThenIwenttoseeKodak,ayellowcompany,and

theythoughtIwascrazy–itsbiggestcompetitor,

Fuji,wasgreen.SoIflewtoTokyoandsatoutside

Dentsu,theadvertisingagencyforFuji.Iwaited

for 30 hoursuntiltheywouldseeme.Isaidto

them,“Thisisanopportunitytostiffyour

competitorsKodak.ButbequickasI’vegotother

peoplelinedupforthis.”AndFujigotonboard.

Runningaraceteammakesyoudosome

crazythings.Themoralofthesestories?Maybe

it’stimeyoutookariskortwo...B

Eddie Jordan’s fee for this column hasbeen

donated to charity

oucouldsayIhavetakenafew risks,
especiallyinmysailingcareer –
circumnavigatingmyoldOyster
885 straightfromdelivery,battling
theRoaringForties,hangingoffthesideofTP52s
andgoingfartoofastinanassortment of
dinghiesand catamarans–butIwas well
schooledinrisk-takingbyrunningaFormula 1
team.Ifyoudon’tknowmuchaboutF1in the
1980sand1990s,thinksharktank,withaschool
ofpiranhasthrowninforgoodmeasure.It was
vicious.Teammembersanddriverswearing your
coloursonedaywouldbewearingsomeother
team’sthenext.IgaveMichaelSchumacher his
firstdriveinF1andhewaspoachedfromunder
mynose.OnedayhewasstayingwithTeam
JordaninadormitoryfortheSpaGrandPrix, the
nexthewasstayingatVillad’EsteonLakeComo
courtesyofhisnewteamBenetton.ButImade
Benettonpaythroughthenoseforhim. That
needtoraisecashfortheteamledmeon
manyadventures.Thebestoneinvolves
logisticscompanyDHL.Youknowwhy
theirbrandcolourisyellow?Ibetyou’ve
neverheardthisonebefore...

Backinthe1990s,mycarswerebright
yellowandmymainsponsorwasBenson
&Hedges.Youcouldseethesecarsamile
awayandthesponsorslovedit.Outof
thatcameanopportunityofsponsorship
withDeutschePost,whichwasinthe
processofbuyingDHLatthetime.It
wantedtoplastertheDHLbrandingover
ourcarsbutitscolourswereredand
white.Iknewtheendwasnighfor
cigarettesponsorshipandIwanted
thatDHLmoney.Irangitsmarketing
directorandaskedfortwominutesat
theendoftheirnextboardmeeting.He
obviouslysaidnoway.ButthenIhad
aclassicstrokeofJordanluck:mydriver,
Heinz-HaraldFrentzen–aGerman–won
inMonzaandDeutschePostgavemethat
twominutes.

I arrived at the board meeting with a brochure

for everyone. I said, “You’ve asked me to help

create the number-one logistics business in the

world, but I think it’s flawed if you keep the red

and white livery.” Then I asked them to open the

first page of the brochure and it showed a bunch

of white vans lined up. Page two showed a bunch

of white planes all lined up. And then I asked

them to open page three and it showed a line of

white vans, but one in the Jordan yellow. It

jumped out at them. Page four showed a line of

white planes with one in yellow. I said, “Guys, it’s

time to bite the bullet.” And they went for it! They

rebranded DHL to link up with the yellow colour

of the Jordan F1 car. It helped that Deutsche Post

was part-owned by the Bahrainis, who loved me

after borrowing one of my cars to market the first

Grand Prix in the country.

Before my cars were yellow they were bright

green, as our main sponsor was 7 Up, which was

Lippy from the Liffey

Eddie Jordan has always felt fortune favours the brave, whether on the water or

on the track – and he can recall a few colourful moves that back up that notion

Y

Illustration David Hopkins

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09 2019