Spitz Profile Soars with Phelps’ Success

Memories of Mark Spitz’s seven gold medals in the 1972 Summer Olympics have been revived in marketers’ imaginations with Michael Phelps record-setting performance in Beijing. And Spitz is poised to cash in on that flood of nostalgia.

In New York City for a Hyatt Resorts promotion yesterday, Spitz said he’s received numerous endorsement proposals that will likely keep him in the public eye for the foreseeable future.

“I’ve gotten a tremendous amount of interest in doing things,” he said. “You’ll be seeing a lot of me in the next month.”

Spitz declined to enumerate the kinds of offers, or what kind of endorsement
deals he’s agreed to do. He has existing endorsement deal with Botox, Medco, Go Daddy.com, Nicklaus Academies and the Laureas Sport for Good Foundation.

In his appearance for Hyatt Resorts outside Grand Central Terminal, Spitz acted as commentator on a competition between three couples for a vacation at a Hyatt property. He presented the three couples with simulated bronze, silver and gold medals.

He also posed for press pictures afterwards, holding a copy of the Sport Illustrated cover showing Michael Phelps wearing his eight gold medals. That cover echoed one that featured Spitz in a similar pose after his own record-setting performance in Munich.

The Hyatt deal was in place months ago, according to Spitz. But it was timed to coincide with the anticipated hoopla about Phelps in Beijing.

Spitz has publicly stated his disappointment about not being invited to the Beijing games. But he said watching Phelps top his Olympics record has not been a bittersweet experience.

“His accomplishment has highlighted what I accomplished,” Spitz said. “Records are made to be broken, and I’m not exclusive.”

For more coverage on other marketing tactics

For more coverage on the Olympics

Related Links:

Gold Medals May Not Spark Marketing Deals
http://promomagazine.com/olympics/gold_medals_making_deals_1508/index.html

Turf War
http://promomagazine.com/othertactics/0801-marketers-help-china/index.html