Michael Phelps is hoping a successful Rio Games will help in "rebuilding the personal branding empire that was severely downsized" after his brief retirement after the '12 London Games and his '14 drunk driving incident, according to Futterman & Bachman of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Octagon Olympic & Action Sports Managing Dir Peter Carlisle is spending 10 days in Rio to meet with "potential partners interested in funding a second retirement." Carlisle said that business opportunities "were not the sole reasons why Phelps decided to make another Olympic run, 'but it is a significant incidental benefit.'" Futterman & Bachman note Phelps "at the height of his fame" earned an estimated $5-10M annually. But he watched his sponsorship portfolio "shrivel" after London, as relationships ended that "could have formed the foundation for his future." Phelps "maintains corporate deals" with Under Armour and Omega, though "many others, including some of the world’s biggest brands, exited the Michael Phelps business over time." That includes P&G, Hilton and Subway. Phelps' "lesser-known sponsorships" are with shaving supply company 800Razors.com, hot tub maker MasterSpas, beef jerky brand Krave and swim apparel company Aqua Lung's Aqua Sphere unit, which "makes a line of swimsuits under the MP brand." Carlisle knows there "may be [a] lingering effect from the DUI arrests" with corporate America. Carlisle: "To say otherwise, would be disingenuous" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/9).
STAYING IN THEIR LANE: In Baltimore, Jeff Barker notes Under Armour has been "using lots of generic slogans -- and plenty of flags -- so far to emphasize its presence in Rio while still adhering to the rules." After Phelps won his 19th career Gold Medal on Sunday, UA "couldn’t congratulate him directly on his medal in social media." However, it "tweeted a photo of Phelps in the water with the brand’s 'Rule Yourself' promotional slogan and the caption: 'Stay One Stroke Ahead.'" Next to the caption was "an American flag." Flags also "appear prominently" in UA tweets featuring "many of its other athletes at the Rio Games." There are "photos and country flags of such athletes" as Mexican soccer G Alfrado Tala, French boxer Souleymane Cissokho and Canadian rugby player Ashley Steacy (
Baltimore SUN, 8/9).
STAR STRUCK: In Phoenix, Dan Bickley writes under the header, "Phelps, Bolt Transcend Olympic Games." Usain Bolt showed up at Rio yesterday for a "packed press conference ... wearing his hat backwards, his smile lighting the room." He left the stage "grooving with scantily clad Brazilian Samba dancers." In between, a journalist from Norway was "granted a question and a microphone and said this: "I don't have a question. I just want to say I really love you, man!" Phelps later in the evening qualified for the 200-meter butterfly finals. He "walked onto the pool deck like a rock star, and you could almost feel the electricity surge" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 8/9).
