Gold and Silver Medal-winning U.S. gymnast Laurie Hernandez has signed her first endorsement contract with IOC TOP sponsor Procter & Gamble, agreeing to become a brand ambassador for Crest toothpaste and Orgullosa, a Latina-focused online platform founded by P&G. Her mother, Wanda Hernandez, will also join P&G's "Thank you, Mom" campaign. Hernandez, the first Latina member of the U.S. gymnastics team since '84, turned pro shortly before the Rio Games and is represented by agent Sheryl Shade (Ben Fischer, Staff Writer). QUARTZ' Ashley Rodriguez noted Shade's phone "started ringing" as soon as Hernandez claimed the Silver in the individual balance beam competition on Monday. Shade said, "I probably heard from 10 major, Fortune 100 companies as soon as she did it. They were paying attention." She added that brands including "beauty lines, sportswear companies, and packaged-food brands are lining up to work with Hernandez." Shade plans to announce some of Hernandez' deals "in the coming weeks." Rodriguez noted there is "pressure on athletes to pounce on endorsement opportunities that pop up" in the immediate aftermath of the Games. Shade plans to keep Hernandez "in the public eye through the end of the year by taking advantage of the TV, press, and marketing opportunities that come in" (QZ.com, 8/16).
FLAVOR OF THE WEEK? In L.A., Nathan Fenno reports translating the success of U.S. gymnast Simone Biles into a long-term income stream "promises to be difficult, because of a small window for most Olympians to capitalize on their notoriety." Biles "could be an exception, particularly if she returns" for the '20 Tokyo Games. The Marketing Arm Managing Dir Matt Delzell said, "Olympians have a very short shelf life. We fall in love with these athletes who represent our country so well and then we forget about them. Then the next thing comes along." Experts "point to Gabby Douglas," who won all-around Gold at the '12 London Games, but "didn't bring the same level of attention to Rio de Janeiro, as an example of the challenge gymnasts face to remain in the public eye when their careers are shorter than almost every other sport" (L.A. TIMES, 8/18).
