Warriors G Stephen Curry is "poised to be the marketing face" of the upcoming NBA All-Star weekend in N.Y., and will "star in a spree of new TV ads this week for sponsors Unilever, Express and Under Armour," according to Michael McCarthy of ADWEEK. Curry's "high profile will help position him as the league's next big athletic endorsement star in the vein" of
Cavaliers F LeBron James, Thunder F Kevin Durant and Lakers G Kobe Bryant. His new spot for Degree Dry Spray deodorant shows the 26-year-old "as a 'game-changer' who confounds his opposition with behind-the-back passes and shots from impossible angles." On Thursday and Sunday nights, Curry "will star in a new 30-second spot for Express called 'Taxi,' where he
styles the retailer's men's threads around the Big Apple." The spot "appears to be a recut version (with some added New York flourishes) of an existing Curry video on the retailer's Web site." Express PR Manager Niki Evans said that the spot "was created in house." Meanwhile, during a launch party Thursday night, UA "will preview the new commercial for
Curry's first signature shoe -- The Curry One -- which hits stores in February" (
ADWEEK.com, 2/11). FORBES' Robert Tuchman wrote one "has to wonder how much longer it will be before Curry surpasses James and Durant in terms of earning power." Curry in his sixth season in the NBA is earning "just shy" of $8M per year in endorsements, which is a "significant number." Various sponsors are "only recently figuring out just how marketable Curry is based on his charisma, talent, and 'underdog' story." State Farm has been the "biggest" of the new endorsement deals, with Curry becoming
part of the "Born To Assist" campaign. That deal, along with partnerships for Muscle Milk, Backyard Sports NBA '15 video game, Zamst sports equipment, Fanatics and ESPN, "have made Curry one of the league's busiest players" (
FORBES.com, 2/9).
CURRY FAVOR: UA Senior Category Dir for Basketball Roman Vega said that Curry "brings credibility" to the brand, which only
added basketball shoes to its roster of products in '10. In S.F., Ron Leuty wrote that is "important, since retailers are keenly aware of how a name" like James or Basketball HOFer Michael Jordan "can increase sales" (
BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/9). In Oakland, Marcus Thompson II noted the UA spot for the "Curry One," filmed in L.A., is a "testament to how much clout he's gained." Curry was "given some options for stars to be in his video," and he "couldn't stop tripping out over Jamie Foxx." He said that Foxx "was his top choice," and the "megastar agreed" (
INSIDEBAYAREA.com, 2/11).
