Seahawks QB Russell Wilson in his second NFL season ranks No. 1 on NFL Players Inc.'s Top 25 Player Sales List, based on total retail sales from September-November '13. 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick ranks second with Broncos QB Peyton Manning coming in third. NFLPI, the marketing and licensing arm of the NFLPA, based its list on the total overall sales of all licensed products from both online and traditional retail outlets, as reported by more than 65 licensees. Five players on the list are participating in the Super Bowl: Wilson, Manning, Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks CB Richard Sherman and Broncos WR Wes Welker (NFLPI).
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NFL PLAYERS INC.'S TOP 25 PLAYER SALES RANKINGS
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RK
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PLAYER |
RK
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PLAYER |
|
1
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Seahawks QB Russell Wilson |
14
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Broncos WR Wes Welker |
|
2
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49ers QB Colin Kaepernnick |
15
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Giants WR Victor Cruz |
|
3
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Broncos QB Peyton Manning |
16
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Giants QB Eli Manning |
|
4
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Redskins QB Robert Griffin III |
17
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Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill |
|
5
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Patriots QB Tom Brady |
18
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Lions WR Calvin Johnson |
|
6
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Packers QB Aaron Rodgers |
19
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Cowboys WR Dez Bryant |
|
7
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Texans DE J.J. Watt |
20
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Cowboys TE Jason Witten |
|
8
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Saints QB Drew Brees |
21
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Steelers S Troy Polamalu |
|
9
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Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch |
22
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Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski |
|
10
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Colts QB Andrew Luck |
23
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49ers LB Patrick Willis |
|
11
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Seahawks CB Richard Sherman |
24
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Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles |
|
12
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Packers LB Clay Matthews |
25
|
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger |
|
13
|
Vikings RB Adrian Peterson |
|
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LIFE OF A PITCHMAN: USA TODAY's Brady & Schrotenboer report Manning "isn't just a quarterback," but rather "Peyton Inc." Manning, who Celebrity DBI data cites as the "nation's top-ranked endorser among active NFL players," makes $12M annually in endorsements from companies including DirecTV, Papa Jon's Gatorade and Buick. The Marketing Arm Exec VP/Sports Jordan Schlachter called Manning "one of the most popular, trustworthy, well-known celebrities in this country, and that's not just athletes." He added, "You don't find a lot of Peyton Manning haters out there." Georgetown Univ. marketing professor Marlene Morris Towns: "Peyton Manning is one of those players, personalities that I think really transcends football. He's become a figure in popular culture, aside from purely marketing" (
USA TODAY, 1/31). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's David Goldenberg notes Manning "remains the top jersey seller" on NFLShop.com. But if Wilson "wins on Sunday, perhaps we'll see a different quarterback in all those goofy commercials" (
WALL STREET JOURNAL, 1/31).
YOU'RE SO MONEY: Baker Street Advertising Senior VP & Exec Creative Dir Bob Dorfman released his annual pre-Super Bowl marketability report, ranking Manning and Sherman as the most marketable participants in Super Bowl XLVIII. Manning "could use one more ring to seal his legacy as a football icon and keep the marketing deals flowing well into retirement." Though he is "nearing 40" and has been "an advertising fixture for years, Manning has yet to wear out his welcome, and still has room in his endorsement resume." Sherman with "one game saving play and post-game outburst ... became a national phenom, a household name and face, and marketable commodity worth $1-3M a year in new a deals." He is a "risky investment for conservative marketers, but Sherman is too shrewd to blow this opportunity." Dorfman ranked Wilson in the next-highest tier, calling him the "Super Bowl player with the biggest upside." Wilson is "young, good-looking, articulate and wholesome" and as such is "an excellent choice for a long-term deal" (THE DAILY).
SHERMAN'S MARCH: ESPN’s Darren Rovell said there are "certainly companies looking" at signing Sherman to an endorsement, and whether that "turns into anything in the future ... is going to be based on whether the Seahawks can win the title and whether he'll do anything in that game to boost himself to the next level." Rovell said interviews Sherman has given following the NFC Championship Game have "enabled him to be more of that complex character and enabled companies who were maybe looking at him to say, 'Okay, I think we now have a better idea.’" Rovell: "Marketers don't like mysteries, and I think that's why, no matter what Marshawn Lynch does, I think there is something a little bit uncomfortable about Marshawn Lynch right now. With Richard Sherman, he was able to kind of take it to the next level, keep that complex story out there and have marketers say, 'Okay, if this guy does perform on the field, then maybe we will give him a shot’” ("OTL," ESPN, 1/30).
