Olympics Names & Faces: Ohno Could Earn More Deals Post-Games

Ohno Now Endorsing Luxury Omega Watches After Signing Deal Since Beginning Of Games

In Seattle, Kristi Heim reports U.S. speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno, who Saturday became the country's most decorated Winter Olympian of all time with seven total medals, "could walk away from Vancouver with deals worth millions of dollars." Ohno since the Games began has "begun endorsing luxury Omega watches, and other sponsors may follow soon, especially if he strikes gold in his remaining races." Octagon Managing Dir of Olympics & Action Sports Peter Carlisle, who repped U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps during the '08 Beijing Games, also will be "racing to strike as many other deals for Ohno as possible ... when the last race is finished." Heim notes U.S. viewers will "see a lot more of Ohno in TV ads that feature him as Superman for Vick's Dayquil, and skating on a circle of cracking ice in a commercial for AT&T." Ohno entered the Games with sponsorships with several companies, including Coca-Cola, Alaska Airlines and the Washington State Potato Commission. He actually "sought out a partnership" with the potato commission to "promote healthful eating and indulge his passion for cooking." The deal "includes a cookbook with Ohno and top Seattle chefs"(SEATTLE TIMES, 2/22). In N.Y., Greg Bishop cited an online Smithsonian magazine poll as indicating that Ohno garnered 37% of the vote for "America's favorite Winter Olympian." Former U.S. figure skater Brian Boitano ranked second with 21%, and "no one else, not Shaun White, not Bonnie Blair, not Eric Heiden, received even half of that" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/20).

REDEMPTION SONG: U.S. skier Bode Miller yesterday won the men's super combined race, marking his first Gold Medal in four Olympic Games. Miller lost several sponsors following the '06 Turin Games, when he was shut out of the medals despite entering those Olympics as the favorite to win several races. CNBC's Darren Rovell following yesterday's race tweeted, "Wondering how the folks at Barilla & Atomic feel for dumping Bode." Octagon First Call VP & Managing Dir David Schwab wrote, "Bode Miller now has chance to be USA star of the Games. I still do not think he is really mkt'able in this country (he is 4 sure in Europe)" (TWITTER.com, 2/21). Meanwhile, in N.Y., Filip Bondy writes Miller is, "gulp, now a great Olympian" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/22). ESPN's John Anderson said of Miller, "Sometimes it just takes four Olympics to grow up and get it right, find a day when ability and maturity match up, find a race where the right attitude and the right wax can transform a skier's image from underachieving, over-socializing slacker into hardworking, deserving Olympic champion" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 2/22).

STAYING IN THE SPOTLIGHT: TIME's Sean Gregory noted while Olympic athletes "tend to fade from consciousness" after the Closing Ceremony, U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn's "photogenic face, trumped so incessantly by NBC during a relatively highly-rated Winter Games, isn't going anywhere soon." Vonn, whose current sponsors include Red Bull, Under Armour and Vail Resorts, said she is "excited" about her commercial prospects. Vonn: "I just hope, with this success, I can build more great relationships, and yeah, we'll see how it goes. I'm anticipating a lot of fun things to come." Meanwhile, Vonn said she is "hoping for" the opportunity to host NBC's "SNL." Vonn: "I've got to call Dick Ebersol to see if 'SNL' will have me. I have some ideas" (TIME.com, 2/19).

Mancuso's Kiss My Tiara Store Shut Down Temporarily

WAIT AND SEE APPROACH: In Tacoma, Craig Hill noted after U.S. skier Julia Mancuso promoted her Kiss My Tiara lingerie line Thursday after winning the Silver Medal in the super combined, her online store was "mysteriously shut down." An e-mail indicated that according to the IOC's Rule 41, athletes "are not allowed to use their 'person, name, picture or sports performances' for advertising purposes." The e-mail indicated that the store "will be back online March 4" (Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE, 2/21).

SOFT AND CUDDLY STARS: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jason Gay writes the athletes who have been "beguiling Vancouver and the world are soft, sweet, and ... snuggletastic." Ohno is "cuter than a basket full of stray koalas," and Vonn "may have vamped it up for Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue, but she radiates more" Jennifer Aniston than Angelina Jolie. There also is the "bespectacled, lanky" Switzerland ski jumper Simon Ammann, who has been "nicknamed Harry Potter since he won two golds" at the '02 Salt Lake City Games (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/22).

EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO BE: MARKETING DAILY’s Aaron Baar reported Visa is “updating its ‘Go World’ campaign with ready-made pieces to congratulate the company’s sponsored athletes when they win a medal.” Mancuso, snowboarder Seth Wescott and Nordic skier Johnny Spillane are among those featured in the ads. Visa is “working closely with … NBC to capture moments from the athlete’s races.” Visa Head of Global Brand Marketing Jennifer Bazante said that the moments are “dropped into commercials prepared before the games began.” Visa has contracted with NBC “to run the ads directly after the athlete has been determined as a medalist.” Bazante: “We know through research that the way consumers connect to the games is through the athletes and their stories. It helps extend the window of the breakthrough moment for the athlete” (MARKETING DAILY, 2/20).