Danica Patrick Stars In Can-Am Spyder Motorcycle Spot, But Is Her Popularity Fading?

NASCAR driver Danica Patrick has "signed on with the three-wheeled Can-Am Spyder motorcycle, and debuts this week in a tongue-in-cheek online campaign that features her as the go-to gal whom celebrities call when seeking instant-escape from paparazzi," according to Bruce Horovitz of USA TODAY. Patrick in the spot "shows up on the three-wheeled roadster dubbed 'The Paparazzi Escape Vehicle,'" and Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler "calls and gets whisked away outside a restaurant." Can-Am filmed the creative late last month. By "linking up" with Patrick, Can-Am is "hoping for some serious celeb rub-off." However, Marketing Evaluations Exec VP Henry Schafer, whose company creates the Q Score, said that Patrick's popularity with the general public "has been fading -- to about half of what it was just three years ago." He added that her popularity has "held up very well with fans of sports and extreme sports -- who would be the most likely customers of this three-wheeled cycle" (USA TODAY, 4/22).