Giants QB Eli Manning will “permanently move out from under brother Peyton’s shadow" if he wins his second Super Bowl title Sunday, and he could add "as much as $3M to his current $7M in yearly endorsement earnings,” according to Baker Street Advertising Exec VP & Exec Creative Dir Bob Dorfman in his annual pre-Super Bowl marketability report. Though Eli Manning “may never match the on-camera charisma and acting chops of his big brother, he’s already proven his worth as a pitchman, particularly in regional New York area campaigns.” With Peyton Manning’s playing future “up in the air, the smart Manning marketing money is on Eli.” Meanwhile, Patriots QB Tom Brady is “well-positioned to overtake” Peyton Manning as the NFL’s "richest endorser -- but only if he’s willing to devote the time and energy that major marketers demand.” He offers advertisers “the complete package: winning talent, model-quality looks, an appealing personality, and a squeaky-clean record.” However, Brady is “very particular about his marketing deals, and has turned down millions in endorsements to stay focused on football and family.” Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski is a "unique character,” and if he “makes a difference on Sunday, national advertisers will take notice.” Dorfman notes defensive linemen “rarely land major ad deals,” but Giants DE Justin Tuck is “an exception, with a resume including Subway, Foot Locker, EA Sports, Nike, even a SoBe Lifewater spot” that ran during Super Bowl XLIII. He is “comfortable on camera, and can deliver a line pretty well,” and a “strong game and another ring for Justin should keep his agent’s phone ringing” (THE DAILY).
BRADY VS ELI: Brady ranked second on THE DAILY's survey of the NFL's most marketable player, and ADWEEK’s Anthony Crupi wrote the Patriots QB has “proven his value as a pitchman for more than a decade.” While not “at the very top of the list of sports spokespeople, Brady’s contracts with Movado, Glaceau Smart Water, Under Armour and Ugg bring him $10 million per year.” He “doesn’t do an awful lot of TV,” and in “large part, the quarterback’s endorsements are limited to glossy magazine ads.” Octagon First Call Managing Dir David Schwab said, “The major difference between Tom Brady and other elite quarterbacks comes down to the sort of categories they align themselves with. Peyton Manning works with marketers who are either official NFL sponsors or spend a lot of their budgets in and around football, whereas Brady lives in a more aspirational space.” Crupi wrote TV money and “a much bigger roster of brand partners give Manning the edge over Brady.” Industry estimates “put Manning’s annual endorsement haul at around $15 million, or a little more than twice what” Eli Manning earns. Should the Giants beat the Patriots on Sunday, Eli Manning “can expect to fend off a horde of marketers heretofore unsure of how to leverage his sleepy charm” (ADWEEK, 1/30 issue).
THIRST QUENCHER: YAHOO SPORTS’ Matthew Darnell noted Gatorade was “about the only thing” Peyton Manning discussed “with any emotion or sincerity” through a 15-minute interview with ESPN’s Trey Wingo yesterday. But ESPN “wasn't surprised by any of this.” A former employee “obtained an email that shows ESPN was aware that the Gatorade plug was coming, and that it'd deal with it and cut it out of the interview for later use” (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/31).
