These deals with athletes were a complete disaster

The drama and controversy surrounding a sports figure often amplifies media attention and public interest, which can paradoxically increase a brand’s visibility. While a scandal can tarnish an athlete’s reputation, it also generates a wave of attention that companies can use to their advantage. However, when athletes make poor choices off the field, they often miss out on lucrative sponsorship deals. Such missteps can damage their personal brand, causing sponsors to distance themselves to avoid negative associations. And sometimes, the sponsorship flops because it simply doesn’t feel authentic. Read on to discover seven athlete sponsorship deals that were complete disasters, listed alphabetically.

Why it’s important

From brand equity and market influence to consumer trends and company performance, understanding the impact of athlete endorsements can shed light on emerging trends and a company’s financial health. Focusing on the potential outcomes of these endorsements can help investors gauge a company’s long-term value and stability.

Lance Armstrong

• Sport: Cycling
• Recommendations: Nike, Budweiser
• Problem: Doping

LiveStrong

If you present yourself as a clean cyclist, your sponsorship deals will likely fall through if it turns out you’ve been doping for most of your career. Lance Armstrong was once a celebrated sports icon and a big draw for brands like Nike, but his sponsorship deals took a huge hit after the revelations about his doping scandal.

Charles Barkley

• Sports: NBA Basketball
• Recommendations: Weight Watchers
• Problem: Mismatch

Bigger than life itself

Despite his celebrity status, Charles Barkley’s Weight Watchers campaign flopped. Known for his outspoken personality and larger-than-life presence, Barkley struggled to fit into the weight-loss brand’s image. The mismatch between Barkley’s persona and the brand’s goals underscores the importance of a cohesive and recognizable endorsement strategy.

Tom Brady

• Sports: NFL Football
• Recommendations: UGGs
• Problem: Mismatch

These shoes are not made for football

Tom Brady’s endorsement of UGGs did not resonate with the public because UGGs were marketed as a women’s brand. This made Brady’s association less intuitive and relatable to UGG’s core audience. The endorsement was not in line with Brady’s athletic personality and the marketing campaign failed to connect with consumers.

• Sports: NFL Football
• Recommendations: Hertz Rent-a-Car
• Problem: Legal issues

Legal issues

Although Simpson was a popular ambassador for Hertz, his arrest for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman generated significant negative publicity. To avoid potential damage to the brand’s image, Hertz severed ties with Simpson.

Tony Siragusa

• Sports: Brazilian football player
• Recommendations: Sex-free condoms
• Problem: Mismatch

SEX-FREE CONDOMS

Ronaldinho’s endorsement of Sex-Free condoms faced challenges that contributed to its lackluster performance. The campaign promoted abstinence as a way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and STDs, which was at odds with Ronaldinho’s playful image. While the Brazilian soccer star has had many successful endorsements, including Coca-Cola and Nike, Sex-Free condoms are not among them.

The post These Athlete Deals Were a Complete Disaster appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..