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New York Times, October 18, 2009 — MARKETERS have been playing a new, more cautious game when it comes to signing athletes as endorsers, winnowing their rosters of jocks peddling products to proven performers with national — or international — profiles like LeBron James, Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning, Serena Williams and Derek Jeter.
Advertising Age, June 9, 2009 — Nascar might just have an answer to the soft economy that's hurting TV ratings, live attendance, and sponsor recruitment: Danica Patrick.Arguably one of the best-known drivers in the world — despite having won just one race — Ms. Patrick is allowed to begin negotiations this week on a new contract with IndyCar team owners, and the racing rumor mill is churning that she is seriously contemplating a switch from open-wheel to stock-car racing in Nascar.
New York Times, May 10, 2009 — The Dodgers quickly and completely rebranded themselves around Manny Ramirez over the 10 months since his arrival in a trade.
When Ramirez was suspended on Thursday for 50 games for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy, shutting down Manny and Mannywood at least until early July, he left the Dodgers to clean up a significant marketing mess.
By Aneysha Pearce, February 18, 2009 — All the press coverage and online buzz about Michael Phelps’ unfortunate and wildly publicized “marijuana incident” underscores the importance of making appropriate, “on brand” choices for celebrity endorsers.
Clearly, winning eight gold medals – and all that goes with being a superb athlete – makes Phelps a highly sought after individual. But when a celebrity endorser is caught making less than ideal choices for the world to see, it puts the company’s brand and reputation on the line.
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Brandweek, February 9, 2009 — Late last week, Kellogg announced it was dropping Olympian Michael Phelps. His team suspended him and law enforcement officials were considering pressing charges. This all transpired after a photo of the swimmer, indulging in a bong hit, surfaced in the U.K.'s News of the World.
Phelps, once one of the most highly sought after spokespeople in the world, was believed to have an earning potential of up to $100 million. Now all of that, much like Cheech and Chong, is up in smoke.
Some of the companies that have already inked contracts with Phelps, like Omega watches and Speedo swimwear, rallied around the record-setting gold medalist. However, following the statement that "Michael's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg," it... continue reading
Wall Street Journal, February 3, 2009 — During the Beijing Olympics, Michael Phelps's sports agent said the gold medalist could earn $100 million in endorsement deals over his lifetime. Now, with Mr. Phelps photographed smoking marijuana, that figure may have to be adjusted, though for the time being most brands say they are standing by the swimming champion. Mr. Phelps was caught up in a torrent of bad publicity Sunday when photos of him appeared in a British tabloid. Although he apologized immediately for the incident, sports-marketing experts expect some fallout.
Advertising Age, February 2, 2009 — In the end, Walmart may not have entirely gotten its money's worth for a Bruce Springsteen exclusive. The Boss dissed the giant retailer in a New York Times interview just days before his Super Bowl performance.
Advertising Age, January 21, 2009 — Starbucks' campaign to promote volunteerism (and store traffic) got a huge bump today from no less than Oprah Winfrey — and by extension, Barack Obama.
The talk-show host talked up the java giant's "I'm In" campaign, which encourages consumers to pledge five hours of community service before the end of the year. Those who commit to doing so at Starbucks between now and Sunday will be rewarded with a free coffee.
Advertising Age, January 14, 2009 — Since the roll out of Pepsi-Cola's new smiley-face-type logo and optimistic-themed campaign, plenty have drawn comparisons between it and President-elect Barack Obama's message. The soft-drink giant will solidify that connection with a major presence in Washington during next week's inauguration festivities
New York Times, January 9, 2009 — This week, Michael Phelps signed a deal worth more than $1 million to advertise Mazda in China. Jerry Seinfeld earned a reported $10 million to appear in Microsoft’s recent television campaign.
But the person who may be the biggest celebrity pitchman in the world is not earning a penny for his work.
President-elect Barack Obama has repeatedly said how much his BlackBerry means to him and how he is dreading the prospect of being forced to give it up, because of legal and security concerns, once he takes office.
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