Here comes Lin-vertising.
Not since the Tiger Woods’ advertising/marketing/promotional campaigns that filled the pockets of one golf superstar has there been such a gold rush to link up with the latest and perhaps greatest name in sports today.
Barely a month after the name Jeremy Lin first created such a ratings phenomenon in and around the New York Knicks’ courtside arena has the advertising world quickly stood up to take notice. And take advantage.
The question around Madison Avenue is how do we align ourselves to Lin? How can a three-letter name help build our business? Anyone in marketing who has used celebrity endorsements to enhance their advertising campaigns has to be thinking about the Lin-sanity that appears to be all around. Just watching the TV coverage of a Knicks game now reinforces the impact that this 23-year old former Harvard player has. Audience numbers have skyrocketed. TV cameras follow Lin on and off the court as if the director tells the cameramen to just keep a camera on Lin at all times.
Word is that only Nike so far has what has been called a small endorsement deal with Lin. Swoosh. It’s only the beginning. When it comes to building a brand around a well-known name, marketers know that a unique selling idea built around a quality campaign works. So far, the Jeremy Lin story appears to be a marketer’s dream – polished and poised, the soft-spoken voice of Jeremy Lin can work to sell.
A Jeremy Lin-endorsed brand of children’s cereal? Of course. A Jeremy Lin-health drink? Without a doubt. A line of Lin branded Swatches? Easy. Ford, GM, Chrysler, Hyundai? Is there car company that wouldn’t want to be shooting a commercial with Lin today? Of course not. From Airlines to Packaged Goods to you name it, expect the breath of marketers who are looking to tie-in with Lin to become, well, insane.
Lin-vertising is just beginning. As his picture appears on the covers of more magazines, as his story gets told on more TV shows, as this talk of the town becomes the talk all around the world, the marketing of the brand known as Jeremy Lin can turn into one of the biggest brands on the face of the advertising world.
Stay tuned and see how one calm, cool, collected young man helps takes marketing and Madison Avenue to new heights.