Gold Medal-winning U.S. gymnast Gabby Douglas' agent Sheryl Shade said that she has "been pitched endorsement proposals, including from Fortune 100 companies, that Douglas will review" starting today, according to Darren Rovell of ESPN.com. Based on "what previous All-Around winners have taken home in endorsements, Douglas "could expect to make between $8 million and $12 million over the next four years." Shade said, "The next six months will be very lucrative." Rovell asked, "What categories most interest the 16-year-old?" Shade said that Douglas "likes orange juice and peanut butter, loves technology and fashion and is ready to pitch a car brand." Shade also said that aside from appearing on boxes of Corn Flakes, Douglas "will receive a bump in how much she earns on a traveling gymnastics tour, sponsored by Kellogg's, which begins next month" (ESPN.com, 8/6). SPORTING NEWS' David Whitley wrote the "newly anointed Olympic sweetheart lost the uneven bars" competition yesterday, but it will "take a lot more than that for her to lose her crown." Her "new status as a cash cow is also sinking in." But all this "is a lot for a 16-year-old to digest." Douglas "looked extra drained afteward, but she vowed to be ready for Tuesday's beam competition" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 8/6). Meanwhile, FOXSPORTS.com's Bill Reiter noted Douglas yesterday, after having "just struggled at an event she's usually able to execute nearly flawlessly, she was asked about reports that he mother is facing bankruptcy." Reiter: "This was fame, the less stellar side of it, bearing down with all its weight. To Douglas' credit she handled it with grace, aplomb and dignity. And she's just 16" (FOXSPORTS.com, 8/6).
I CAN SEE CLARY NOW: CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS' Kelly & Shea noted Gold Medal-winning U.S. swimmer Tyler Clary will now "rely on his agency -- North Carolina-based PMG Sports ... to help him cash in." PMG President & CEO Evan Morgenstein said that the agency's plan for Clary is "to market him to companies around his Riverside, Calif. hometown." He said that Clary "likes to race cars, so the agency will pursue automotive endorsements along with a deal with swimsuit company Speedo" (CRAINSDETROIT.com, 8/5). Meanwhile, Procter & Gamble is running a full-page ad in this morning's USA Today that promotes its Gillette brand and features an image of Gold Medal-winning U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte and the copy, "You’ve Made An Entire Nation Proud. Jeah!" (THE DAILY).
BUILDING EXPOSURE: CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS' Danny Ecker noted Chinese athletic brand Li-Ning is "endorsed by a number of Olympic athletes who will be in focus during the next few days," including Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell and Spain men's basketball G Jose Calderon. To help promote its Olympians, Li-Ning's ad agency of record, Chicago-based Acquity Group, "has helped create the 'Athlete Village,' a site that uses social media platform uNation to aggregate its athletes' online activity." The "Athlete Village" site also "shows various videos chronicling U.S. triple jumper Christian Taylor's path to the Games" (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 8/6).
