Tempur Sealy Inks Deal with Former Yankees Star Matsui

February 15, 2018  by Larry Thomas in Advertising, Business Strategy, Industry   

The company said Matsui will appear in Tempur Japan’s advertising and will showcase how Tempur products supported him throughout his demanding baseball career and into retirement.

It will emphasize the benefits of Tempur Pedic’s proprietary memory foam, which helps reduce tossing and turning by relieving pressure points and helps minimize the transfer of motion between partners during the night.

“Tempur has been with me since I moved to the U.S. in 2003.  I was anxious as I did not know what this new challenge would bring,” Matsui said. “Being able to have restful sleep and to wake up with a positive mindset is something that I owe to Tempur.  It is an honor to be the Tempur Brand Ambassador in Japan.”

Throughout his career, Matsui said he depended on his Tempur pillow which helped provide restorative sleep so he could maintain focus and consistency. Despite intense travel during the baseball season, he said he used his Tempur pillow whenever he could.

“In the U.S. we had a lot of games during the day, whereas baseball in Japan is primarily played at night. Furthermore, travelling is a lot longer with time differences, so to ensure I got a restful night’s sleep I used my Tempur pillow,” he said.  “Even since I retired, I cannot live without my Tempur pillow.”

Matsui’s career started in Japan’s Nippon Professional league, where he earned All Star credits in 9 out of his 10 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants.  In 2003, Matsui turned his attention to Major League Baseball in the U.S., playing seven seasons with the Yankees.

Matsui was named 2009 World Series Most Valuable Player--the first for a Japanese player--helping the Yankees to the title. He also played in the 2003 and 2004 All Star Games.

On Jan. 15, he became the youngest player to be inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. Matsui continues to have an active philanthropic presence across various causes, in addition to acting as a consultant for his former teams.

“Tempur is proud to have helped and supported Mr. Matsui throughout his decorated baseball career and as he continues to consult today,” said David Montgomery, executive vice president of Tempur Sealy International.  “He is a perfect advocate to communicate how important sleep and recovery is, both in professional sport and everyday life.”

The company said Matsui would not appear in advertising in the U.S., where its ads feature tennis star Serena Williams.