Sports

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The year started off with the New York Giants knocking off the New England Patriots and firmly establishing a Manning brother promotional dynasty. Eli's Super Bowl XLII ring, when paired with brother Payton's, earned in Super Bowl XLI, turned the Mannings into the Power Twins of professional sports endorsements in the United States.

Peyton earned $13 million in endorsements from companies including Reebok and Gatorade in 2007. The Manning brothers recently teamed up for an Oreo commercial, among other initiatives.

The tennis-playing Williams sisters certainly upped their endorsement value as they won the gold medal for women's doubles tennis in the Olympics. In November 2007, Venus expanded in the mass market launching the EleVen brand at Steve & Barry's.

Michael Phelps was the first major Olympian to emerge as a new brand. But the first endorsement deal arrived with controversy when Phelps chose to appear on Kellogg's Frosted Flakes rather than something with a healthier reputation, like Wheaties.

To provide substance to the healthy lifestyles spin, Kellogg's Corporate Citizenship Fund pledged $250,000 to The Michael Phelps Foundation, which promotes youth swimming and water safety. Phelps will appear on a special-edition packaging for, besides Frosted Flakes, Corn Flakes, Club Crackers and Rice Krispies Treats Marshmallow Squares.

These days, Phelps deals come in all sizes and sorts. "Michael Phelps is just a hot property right now," says Lisa Napolitano, director of licensing for Lang Holdings, which will produce 2009 limited-edition wall calendars.

When it comes to marketing drive, perhaps no sporting association today has NASCAR's engine power. Mars Snackfood launched a new blend of My M&M's chocolate candies in July that featured young gun Kyle Busch of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series M&M's Racing team.

In August, four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon launched the latest Jeff Gordon fine wines, a 2006 Sonoma Coast pinot noir and a 2006 Carneros chardonnay. A Web site dedicated to the wines was launched as www.jeffgordonwines.com. The collection retails for $50 to $80.

In March, soccer star David Beckham signed a new deal with Sharpie. Newell Rubbermaid, Sharpie's parent, said it would leverage Beckham's international sports star status to increase awareness of Sharpie not only as the preferred autograph marker but also for creative uses. Beckham will feature in a global marketing campaign in key regions including North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific.