The Strategic Use of Celebrity Athlete Endorsers in Sports Illustrated: A Historic Perspective

It seems as though some athletes are constantly in the limelight, either while playing their game, engaging in “off the court” activities, or endorsing products or services, or both. Great athletes have been looked upon as role models for many years, and with the technological advances in broadcast communications and increased media coverage, it should come as no surprise that we tend to see famous athletes “everywhere.” Product endorsement has become a rather lucrative business for marketers and athletes alike; thus, the decision to sign a particular athlete endorser is important financially as well as strategically. This study content analyzed the usage of athletes as product endorsers in a sport-oriented medium. Overall, the sample included a total of 132 issues and 5,874 ads. The frequency of usage, trends, and the use of congruent and promotional strategies were noted. These results were then compared to results from a similar study that content-analyzed athlete-endorser usage in general readership magazines.