Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Miami Dolphins Football Stars Cash in on Success with Endorsement Deals

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 01:39:15 -0400

September 08, 2003 10:47

Miami Dolphins Football Stars Cash in on Success with Endorsement Deals

By Sarah Talalay, South Florida Sun-Sentinel 

Sep. 7--It's difficult to pick up a magazine or watch television 
these days without seeing the polished physique and fresh-faced good 
looks of Jason Taylor. 

The Miami Dolphins star defensive end is promoting Under Armour 
Performance Apparel in magazines from Sports Illustrated to Rolling 
Stone to Maxim and Neutrogena men's body washes and lotions on 
television. 

Taylor isn't the only Dolphin whose busy off-field schedule has him 
doing more than getting ready for today's 1 p.m. home opener against 
the Houston Texans at Pro Player Stadium. 

Last Tuesday, running back Ricky Williams shot a humorous Visa "It's 
everywhere you want to be" commercial in Tampa, that will begin 
airing shortly, boosting his national profile beyond Nike and EA 
Sports, maker of the popular Madden Football video games. Marketers 
for new Dolphin Junior Seau are negotiating with an upscale fashion 
designer. 

Finally, quarterback Jay Fiedler is featured in a story and fashion 
spread in the current issue of Ocean Drive and Nextel has just 
launched an online video game that bears his name on CBS 
SportsLine.com. 

Historically, the Dolphins have performed well on the field, but 
this season more players than ever are cashing in on that success on 
Madison Avenue, making them among the most sought-after NFL 
endorsers nationally. 

"The Miami Dolphins are like the Dallas Cowboys, they have fans 
across the country," said Brian Murphy, chief operating officer of 
Athletes First, a Newport Beach, Calif., athlete representation 
agency. "Now they have a lot of household names who are marketing 
the team. Everybody across the country knows who Ricky Williams is, 
who Junior Seau is." 

The 1972 Perfect Team didn't entice Corporate America, but marketing 
wasn't nearly as prevalent in the 1970s. Since that time only future 
Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino and coach Don Shula have made 
sizeable national advertising dollars in aqua and orange. 

While NBA stars can rack up millions in endorsements for large 
corporations like Nike and Coca-Cola, NFL stars often endorse 
products for fewer dollars in lieu of the exposure they gain. 

Philadelphia Eagle Donovan McNabb and his mother debate the merits 
of Campbell's Soup, Tampa Bay Buccaneer Warren Sapp hawks Right 
Guard, San Francisco 49er Terrell Owens is sticking with Sharpie. 

What's unusual is that so many of the current crop of Dolphins 
players are landing national ad deals, said Bryan J. Wiedmeier, 
Dolphins executive vice president and chief operating officer. "It 
has been a cachet team largely because of the consistent on-field 
success." 

Wiedmeier said the Dolphins' success had to be established on the 
field before marketers took notice. And despite not making the 
playoffs for the first time in six years last season, the Dolphins 
have put together the pieces for what many analysts believe is the 
team to beat in 2003. 

The team boasts multiple Pro Bowl selections and the NFL schedule 
makers have assured national exposure with two Monday Night and two 
Sunday Night games this season. Last year, Taylor and linebacker 
Zach Thomas appeared in ads for Madden games while Williams and 
Fiedler appeared in billboard and bus shelter ads for FedEx. 

Williams, who suffers from social anxiety disorder, is also a 
national spokesman for the anti-anxiety medication Paxil. 

"They're so much bigger because they have the star power," said 
Marco Marciano, vice president of Drama Sports, an Aventura 
marketing company helping secure deals for Williams and Seau, 
including their local automobile deals with Warren Henry and Kelley 
Chevrolet respectively. 

"Over the past few years, they always get us on prime-time games," 
Fiedler said. "I think we have players who are very marketable, 
Jason Taylor, Ricky Williams. To watch Junior Seau, Zach Thomas, 
these are recognizable names. We're now getting to the point where 
endorsers are catching on." 

Taylor has broken through with his advertising that shows him out of 
his helmet and more accessible to consumers. With Under Armour, 
which doesn't pay athletes to wear its products, Taylor is paid for 
time spent shooting the underwear ads and receives free clothing. 

"He was a huge fan of the brand, that was our first criteria," said 
Steve Battista, Under Armour director of marketing. "And he's a good 
tough player and he looks really good in the product." 

Taylor has the potent mix of stats (18.5 sacks last season) and sex 
appeal (his agent, Gary Wichard, says "He's someone that men want to 
be like and women want to be with."). Seau and Williams (whose No. 
34 jersey was second only to the Chicago Bears' linebacker Brian 
Urlacher in most sales recorded by NFLShop.com last season) have 
name recognition. But it's Fiedler's ability to strike deals that 
proves the Dolphins have arrived. 

"When you think of the top 10 or 15 quarterbacks, Jay Fiedler 
probably wouldn't be one of them," Murphy said, adding that might be 
part of his appeal, particularly as his price tag will be less than 
some marquee QBs'. "A lot of the other quarterbacks might have 
priced themselves out of the market." 

Fans can access "Nextel Direct Connect Football featuring Jay 
Fiedler," known as an "advergame," on CBS SportsLine 
(www.sportsline.com/partner/nextel). It includes a sweepstakes for a 
chance to win a trip to South Florida to meet Fiedler. 

Ted Moon, senior manager of online marketing for Nextel said the 
company chose Fiedler because it felt his name recognition -- just 
like the company's cellular service -- extends nationally. 

"Jay Fiedler is a successful quarterback for a high-profile team 
that has championship aspirations," Moon said. 

Scott Becher, president of Miami Beach-based Sports & Sponsorships, 
who negotiated Fiedler's deal with Nextel, says what's appealing 
about Fiedler is what sets him apart. 

"He's the cerebral, gritty quarterback of one of the league's most 
visible teams, yet he is anything but typical," Becher said. "He's 
both an Ivy Leaguer and the second-winningest QB in the league over 
the last three years. CEOs respect him and kids idolize him at the 
same time ... that's pretty unique. But more than that, people 
respect him as an underdog who made it. That's something we all can 
relate to." 

Jason Taylor said he thinks the Dolphins are ripe for more business. 

"It's still not where I think it could be, where it should be," 
Taylor said with a smile, adding that for companies looking for 
endorsers, the Dolphins aren't hard to find. "We're just a phone 
call away." 

http://www.sportsline.com/partner/nextel

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