Michael Jackson a Shoe-In to Sign Up as Spokesman for L.A. Gear

Pop star Michael Jackson is about to lace up with L.A. Gear as a corporate spokesman.

Jackson has scheduled a press conference this morning at the Hollywood Palladium where he is expected to announce a long-term, multimillion-dollar contract with the Mar Vista-based athletic shoe maker.

Executives at L.A. Gear did not return phone calls Tuesday, and Jackson’s publicists also declined to comment on the deal.

There is speculation that the company may eventually develop a shoe or clothing line named after--perhaps even designed by--the eccentric singer. And as has been the case with a growing number of rock stars, L.A. Gear is expected to tie in the promotion with Jackson’s upcoming album--a greatest hits collection scheduled for November release.

Terms of the contract have not been disclosed. But Los Angeles-area celebrity brokers--agents who arrange deals between stars and corporate sponsors--generally agree that, at the very least, the deal could rival the estimated $10-million-plus that Pepsi has paid Jackson to be its spokesman for the past three years.

One celebrity broker says the incentive for Jackson has to be more than monetary.

“It’s hard for me to believe this is a money deal,” said Sandy Joseph, co-owner of Joseph & Rix, a Beverly Hills company that represents a number of top Hollywood celebrities. She speculated that L.A. Gear might eventually develop a Michael Jackson line of shoes or clothing--and perhaps even have Jackson play a role in its design. “After all,” she said, “what kind of money can you pay Michael Jackson?”

Well, how about $10 million? That is what one source close to L.A. Gear, who asked not to be identified, said Jackson will be paid to wear L.A. Gear shoes in future music videos. At the same time, L.A. Gear is said to have agreed to air portions of the music videos in its TV commercials.

This would be a major concession from Jackson, who previously has not even touched the products he endorses in ads. Although Jackson has sung about Pepsi for several years, none of the commercials shows him drinking the beverage.

Just how effective a spokesman would Jackson be for L.A. Gear? Experts have varying opinions.

“It would be a real stretch to picture Michael Jackson doing the Moonwalk in a pair of L.A. Gear shoes,” said Alann Heldfond, president of Ingels Inc., a Hollywood company that represents top celebrities. He said baseball and football star Bo Jackson, who appears in Nike ads, is probably a more credible spokesman because the public more closely identifies athletic shoes with those sports than with dancing.

‘Very Visible Name’

But representatives of Reebok, Nike and Pepsi say L.A. Gear has clearly jumped into the big leagues with this move. Last year, L.A. Gear mostly featured former Los Angeles Laker Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in its ads.

“It’s a good move,” said Kate Burnham, public relations manager at Reebok. “Michael Jackson is a very visible name.”

Jackson is “a perfect spokesman for a fashion product,” said Liz Dolan, Nike’s director of public relations. But she said Jackson would not be a good spokesman for shoes that are primarily aimed at athletes--such as Nike. Besides Bo Jackson, Nike also uses basketball star Michael Jordan as a spokesman. “I’d love to see Michael Jackson go one on one with Michael Jordan,” Dolan said.

“What a coup,” said Tod Mackenzie, spokesman for Pepsi, which recently completed its affiliation with Jackson. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for L.A. Gear.”

Although Mackenzie said Pepsi may some day try to re-sign Jackson as a spokesman, that won’t happen for a while. “If you have lobster every night for dinner,” explained Mackenzie, “you get tired of lobster.”