At CES in Las Vegas earlier this month, O'Neal touted home security brand Ring, a longtime partner GETTY IMAGES
Shaquille O'Neal, since retiring in '11, has "only grown his presence in households across the world" through a multitude of brand partnerships, according to Mitch Reames of AD WEEK. O'Neal's face has "appeared in 7-Eleven beverage coolers and Zales jewelry cases." His ads over the years have "ranged from funny," like his '18 campaign with Oreo, to heartwarming, like his partnership with Zappos shoes for underprivileged kids on Christmas, to "just plain bizarre with GoDaddy's Twitter page and cheese sculptures of his head." He is the "Chief Fun Officer" for Carnival Cruise Line, a "popular GIF thanks to his Gold Bond ads and he's the newest board member for Papa John's to help the pizza brand reinvent its image." At CES in Las Vegas earlier this month, O'Neal was on the show floor with longtime partner home security brand Ring. GMR Marketing Chief Brand Officer Dave Rosenberg said of O'Neal, "His ability to never change who he is, to have fun with the product and with himself, that consistency is what brands love." Reames wrote while some brands "may be searching for the larger-than-life spokesperson to elevate their status, many others want a person who feels relatable." Reames: "Shaq is a rare athlete who is both." His duality "gives brands of all types a way to connect" (ADWEEK.com, 1/20).
DJ DIESEL IN THE HOUSE: USA TODAY's Bryan Kalbrosky wrote O'Neal, when performing as DJ Diesel, is "earning the love of fans at festivals including Lollapalooza in Chicago and Tomorrowland in Belgium." Most recently, he "performed in front of a sold-out crowd of 1,800 at Big Night Live in Boston." O'Neal said of what life would have been like if he had pursued his DJ aspirations full time, "Based on my mentality, I would be considered one of the top DJs. I'm doing this for me, I'm not doing this for a living. But I know I used to be that kid that used to want to jam to Public Enemy and LL Cool J and Big Daddy Kane" (USA TODAY, 1/20).
