He won't be sold short

By Greg Johnson

Jan. 30, 2007 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

Some fans won’t credit Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts with having the right stuff until he grabs as many Super Bowl rings as archrival Tom Brady of the New England Patriots. Manning, however, has few doubters on Madison Avenue, where the second-generation NFL quarterback has joined the elite ranks of athletes who are paid handsomely to pitch goods and services.

Only a handful of professional athletes, including Tiger Woods, Andre Agassi, LeBron James and Serena Williams, earned more from product endorsements than the $11.5 million that Manning was paid last year, according to Sports Illustrated. The 30-year-old has forged more than a half dozen sponsorship deals with such powerful brands as Reebok, MasterCard, Sony and Sprint.

And, along the way, the nine-year veteran has become an ambassador for the league.

He’s done it, to use a sports marketing phrase, by “taking his helmet off” and revealing more of his personality.

Manning’s ads include playing the football hero-turned-everyman who begs a grocery clerk to autograph a melon in a MasterCard commercial, the big brother stuck in a sibling rivalry with brother Eli (the New York Giants’ quarterback) in an ESPN commercial, and the stand-up comic who gamely dons a fake mustache and wig to hawk Sprint cellular service.

Ad executives aren’t alone in their appreciation of Manning’s marketing game. “I think it’s hilarious,” said Chicago Bears defensive end Alex Brown, who will face off against Manning and the Colts in Super Bowl XLI on Sunday. “My son loves him too.”

Manning’s role as product pitchman benefits from playing the right position -- quarterback -- to get his face on television. Sports marketers, though, credit Manning for using his good-guy-next-door image, showcasing his playful sense of humor and constantly honing his acting skills.

Bob Garfield, a columnist for Advertising Age, has chronicled the painful parade of athletes who’ve stumbled while pitching hemorrhoid preparations, low-calorie beer and the like. In December, Garfield wrote that Manning is “the greatest sports endorser ever. Not the most successful; Michael Jordan, after all. But his delivery, poise and comic timing make Michael look, comparatively, like an extra on ‘CSI.’ ”

There’s plenty of Manning to be seen on TV and online. One YouTube entry from an adoring Manning fan sums it up nicely: “I really hope none of Peyton’s commercials ever get deleted. I have all nine in my favorites.”

It’s not as if the quarterback needs extra work.

Manning is in the middle of a seven-year, $98-million contract with the Colts. Last year, a Sports Business Journal survey of sports marketing industry executives listed Manning as the NFL’s most marketable player. A Harris Poll survey reportedly listed Manning’s popularity as matching that of Jordan among 30- and 40-somethings.

“When we first asked Peyton to join our team he was second only to Jordan in consumer recognition of athletes,” said Kevin Berman, senior marketing manager for Sony Electronics, which uses Manning to pitch high-definition televisions. “That’s a nice camp to be in.”

Colts owner Jim Irsay credited Manning’s commercial success to the same work ethic he displays in practice and during games.

“I’m not saying that there aren’t players as good, and I’m not saying that people don’t work hard,” Irsay said. “But I’m just saying that if you’re talking about someone who prepares, I’ve never seen anyone prepare like this guy.”

Manning has avoided potentially embarrassing ads and stuck with well-known brands.

Sports marketers suspect that Manning might eventually add an automobile deal -- think fast-moving quarterback using a family-oriented SUV to maneuver out of a tight situation. Yet, sports and advertising industry observers doubt that Manning’s first Super Bowl will produce a noticeable number of new corporate partners.

The payoff for a Super Bowl win, marketers said, could come in Manning’s post-football career.

“What he’s got is a real opportunity for lasting power,” said Matt Delzell, a senior client manager with Dallas’ Davie Brown Talent, which tracks celebrity appeal among consumers. “He’s articulate, intelligent and the networks are going to clamor over him when he’s done with football. So would a loss hurt? No. Would [a win] help? Yeah.”

Manning wasn’t always as comfortable pitching products.

In the spring of 1999, a youthful Manning was on the second team when he reported to a Los Angeles sound studio to make a 30-second spot for DirecTV. Veteran quarterbacks Bret Favre, Dan Marino and Steve Young dominated the commercials that set the players up in a kitschy setting reminiscent of “The Dating Game.”

Over the years, business associates said, Manning has refined his acting skills by using the same intense preparation he is known for on the football field. Manning also seems to have benefited from his status as the highly talented son of Archie Manning, an NFL quarterback in the 1970s and 1980s.

“We really don’t need to tell him much or brief him. He seems to be ready for everything coming at him,” said Todd Krinsky, a vice president for Reebok.

Manning is known to think on his feet during commercial shoots. “If you’re asking if he calls audibles during the process, yes he does,” Berman said.

At the end of one popular MasterCard spot, Manning asks a grocery clerk to autograph a loaf of bread for his younger brother, Eli. MasterCard’s advertising agency had written another line, but Manning decided to mention his brother. “It was his impromptu idea on the set,” said Chris Jogis, MasterCard’s vice president for U.S. brand development. “It ended up being one of the best lines in the spot. He definitely has a good sense for what’s humorous.”

Sports marketers say there’s little chance that Manning’s commercial career will be derailed if the Colts lose on Sunday.

“He transcends football,” Jogis said. “He has a great sense of humor, he’s really down to earth for such a great athlete and people can relate to that.”

Although Manning has moved well beyond the borders of the sports scene, he’s still got room to grow in the marketing arena. About half of Americans recognize his face, according to Davie Brown’s research. Manning is No. 46 on Davie Brown’s sports-celebrity list -- which includes 350 well-known athletes, including Magic Johnson, Jack Nicklaus, Muhammad Ali, Cal Ripken and Lance Armstrong.

As important, consumers like what they see. Davie Brown’s index suggests that Manning scores high in trust, influence and as a product spokesman.

“He’s seen as an upstanding citizen who does charity work, he communicates in a way that shows him to be a down-to-earth, friendly person -- who happens to be the most talented guy in football,” Berman said.

Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman might differ on that last point, but he still laughs each time he sees the MasterCard spot that shows a goofy Manning comforting two movers who lose their grip on a piano that goes rolling down a hill.

“Actually, I think they’re funny, when he goes, ‘They’re not booing, they’re saying, ‘Moooovers,’ ” Tillman said. “That’s my favorite one. I think Peyton has worked real hard for the success that he’s had and he’s deserved everything he’s gotten.”

Times staff writer Sam Farmer contributed to this report.

greg.johnson@latimes.com

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

The face of the NFL

Peyton Manning ranks 46th on the Davie Brown Index, a list of 350 active and retired athletes. The index measures consumer awareness, as well as an athlete’s appeal, influence and degree of trust.

1. Tiger Woods

2. Michael Jordan

3. Muhammad Ali

4. George Foreman

5. Lance Armstrong

6. Magic Johnson

7. Shaquille O’Neal

8. Joe Montana

9. Terry Bradshaw

10. Andre Agassi

46. Peyton Manning

Manning finished 18th in Sports Illustrated’s 2006 Fortunate 50 of how much top athletes gleaned from salaries and endorsement deals. Though quarterbacks Carson Palmer, Michael Vick and Tom Brady each topped Manning in total income, the magazine portrayed him as the NFL’s top endorsement earner.

Rk Athlete (Salary) Endorsements

1. Tiger Woods ($10.6 million) $87.0 million

2. Phil Mickelson ($5.9 million) $40 million

3. Shaquille O’Neal ($20 million) $14 million

4. Kobe Bryant ($15.6 million) $18 million

5. Carson Palmer ($30.7 million) $800,000

6. LeBron James ($4.6 million) $28.6 million

7. Derek Jeter ($21 million) $7 million

8. Alex Rodriguez ($21 million) $6 million

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ($5.7 million) $20 million

10. Michael Vick ($18.4 million) $7 million

18. Peyton Manning ($10 million) $11.5 million