Which athlete is being called "the top candidate to replace Michael Jordan as the top athlete endorser?" A high profile NFL player? The world's number one golfer? An up and coming NBA all star? I'll tell you his name.....
Danica Patrick
Do I know how to call 'em or what? For those of you who have been living either under a rock or with an extreme allergy to sports, Danica Patrick is a 23 year old Indy Racing League driver. She was the 2005 Indy Racing League Rookie of the Year.
Danica Patrick has just signed a deal with Proctor and Gamble to promote Secret antiperspirant. She's previously shunned any beauty or personal-care product endorsements - so why Secret?
Two years ago Secret changed it's slogan from "Strong enough for a man. Made for a woman" to "Strong enough for a woman." Seems like a pretty good fit.
“Danica really embodies the brand character of secret, which is a strong-yet-feminine woman,” a P&G spokeswoman said. “Her individuality, her persistence -– really she embodies several qualities of what the Secret brand represents.
It doesn’t hurt that Ms. Patrick performs in a sweaty, high-risk sport where she not only competes against men but also beats them."
Sure - Danica Patrick looks like an advertiser's dream. But the next Michael Jordan?
Consider this - Thanks to what many now call “Danica Mania,” the Nashville Speedway recently was sold out for a July race in which Ms. Patrick also led briefly before finishing seventh. And the IRL’s TV ratings are up 49% this year.
Nascar, the last bastion of good-old-boy male testosterone, has launched a diversity and driver-development programs designed to bring women drivers into the sport.
Nike and Dove aren't the only ones featuring "real women" in their ad campaigns.
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