Athlete Brand Ambassadors: Do's And Don'ts for Sponsors & Brands
Brands and sports stars have benefitted from lucrative collaborations for decades; they provide significant opportunities for brands to leverage off sport stars’ existing significant exposure and fan following. Coco Gauff[1], David Beckham[2], Michael Jordan[3], Serena Williams[4], Cristiano Ronaldo[5], Keely Hodgkinson[6] and LeBron James[7] are all known to have a number of well publicised and lucrative ambassador agreements. This exposure has only increased in recent years with the transformative effect of social media and lucrative marketing opportunities have only expanded further with the avenues provided on these mediums. For a business with a particular style of branding, being able to locate and engage with the right athletes who can act as their brand ambassador is critical to promote the brand’s values accurately and for a mutually beneficial business relationship.
Set out below are key considerations for brands entering into athlete ambassadorship arrangements, with a particular emphasis on issues unique to such agreements rather than general standard commercial terms. While not intended to be comprehensive, these points offer a helpful starting reference for brands exploring ambassadorship partnerships with athletes. These areas include:
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- Tags: Advertising | Basketball | Boxing | Commercial Law | Cricket | Football | Intellectual Property Law | Sports | United Kingdom (UK)
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Written by
Simon Casinader
Simon Casinader is a partner in the London office at K&L Gates and had previously worked in their Melbourne office for over seven years. Simon is an intellectual property lawyer with extensive experience in protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights across multiple jurisdictions.
Niall Lavery
Niall Lavery is an associate at the London office of K&L Gates. He splits his practice into two primary areas, specifically, 1) antitrust, competition and trade regulation and 2) intellectual property and commercial law where the team’s cross-departmental approach allows him to provide a versatile and comprehensive approach to his work.
