Phiten signs up Radcliffe to ease step into Europe

Paula Radcliffe has been signed by Japanese manufacturer of sports “wellbeing” products Phiten to spearhead a UK marketing drive ahead of its European roll-out.

The company, whose brand has cult status in Japan but a low profile across Europe, has struck a “six-figure” deal with the long-distance champion runner that will see her become an ambassador for its products and feature in its advertising.

It is also likely that Radcliffe, who holds a string of European and World records at distances ranging from 5,000m to a full marathon, will launch a range of personally endorsed products.

The deal has been brokered by Octagon, the sports marketing agency that represents Radcliffe, and marks Phiten’s first serious attempt to gain a foothold in the UK.

The company’s core products include rubber necklaces and bracelets that contain micro-sized titanium balls, which it claims can relax the shoulders and neck or arm, hand and wrist muscles. Other products include E-water, a moisturising body lotion made with titanium and gold, which claims to increase blood flow and “realign the body’s electric currents”.