Tom Brady Signs NIL Deals With College Athletes To Promote His New BRADY Brand Apparel Line
Source: BRADY Brand
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, Tom Brady, recently debuted BRADY Brand, his new namesake apparel line featuring socks, beanies, t-shirts, hoodies, bomber jackets, and more.
The NFL great signed nine college athletes to NIL deals to help promote the line. Jackson State QB Shedeur Sanders (the son of Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders), Michigan QB Cade McNamara, UCLA tennis player Patrick Zahraj, Boston College hockey player Jack St. Ivany, and Maryland basketball player Julian Reese are among those serving as brand ambassadors.
The athletes have appeared in promotional videos alongside Brady, have been used as models in marketing materials, and have shared branded content across social media platforms to promote the partnership.
Brady's entry into the NIL space delivers the latest example of brands increasingly tapping into student-athletes rather than traditional celebrities or influencers. The quarterback could have turned to friends in the celebrity or professional sports world, but he chose to take the student-athlete route, which became possible thanks to July's NIL legislation being passed.
Here is a breakdown of what makes this a good move:
Brady's star power alone is enough to reach any audience, but by engaging college athletes, he can better connect with a younger demographic and maximize reach within that demographic.
The athletes align with the brand's positioning and messaging. Student-athletes are a no-brainer for brands whose ethos revolves around dedication, hard work, and commitment. Whatever their sport or playing level, student-athletes must possess these qualities to balance the classroom, the playing field, and their social lives. Also, they fit with the "technical apparel for living and training" branding. Thanks to the unique lifestyle college athletics bring, these athletes can highlight the various products, from training to hanging out on campus.
Bringing student-athletes onboard as brand ambassadors allow them to more deeply connect to the brand. Rather than running a one-off campaign to promote the launch, these athletes can support the brand on an ongoing basis and have multi-touchpoints with their followers.
Brady teaming up with this new generation of athletes isn't too different from when a legacy company does a cross-brand collaboration with a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) disruptor. Brady strengthens his already established presence while these athletes enhance their credibility through a co-sign with a player who many people consider to be the GOAT.
NIL has become one of the most covered topics in media. Because of the uncharted territory, major and local publications pick up coverage of everything and anything NIL. Brady can generate PR for anything he touches, but the connection with student-athletes will help generate additional PR.
As a former student-athlete and a current marketer, the NIL has captured my attention the most in the last six months. The creator economy can't exist without the ability for anyone and everyone to monetize their name, image, and likeness, so I'm thrilled that athletes can cash in on their work on and off the field.
As I shared in my 2022 predictions for influencer marketing and the creator economy a few weeks ago, brands have a tremendous opportunity to diversify and expand their influencer marketing efforts by collaborating with student-athletes.
Brady's approach can serve as a foundation for how brands can successfully activate student-athlete partnerships, such as partnering with athletes who share the brand's values and mission, and working with athletes of different sports and levels, instead of just the major players.
