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Joe Flacco signs gummy-bear endorsement deal
If Joe Flacco is smart, and judging by his choice of gummy bears he's the smartest quarterback in the NFL, his new endorsement deal with Haribo Gold Bears would be this simple:
In exchange for being seen with Haribo Gold Bears, client receives all the product he wants for life.
Done and done. I should have been a lawyer. As it is, Flacco probably gets paid in gold bears and green money. That, along with previous deals with Nike and a regional bank, should help bolster the quarterback's bank account.
Also, thanks to this revelation, the Baltimore Ravens have become more than just Ray Lewis when it comes to media stardom. Now we know three things about Joe Flacco:
• He went to Delaware
• He's a free agent at the end of the season and wants to be paid like Peyton Manning
• He likes the gummy bears that I like.
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Actually, the great reason behind the Haribo endorsement is that Flacco really does like the sweetest of treats, Darren Rovell of ESPN reports:
"He didn't do a deal with a clothing company or a law firm," said his agent, Joe Linta. "He did it for a company that makes gummy bears. But that's Joe. He likes the product."
So why Flacco?
Well, the company's U.S. headquarters has been in Baltimore since 1982 and Haribo's advertising is done by a Baltimore firm called TBC. The chairman and creative director for the firm is Allan Charles, father of actor Josh Charles, who stars in "The Good Wife." Josh is a die-hard Ravens fan.
"We don't do typical sponsorships," said Christian Jegen, president of Haribo North America. "We'll only do something with an athlete if we hear he really enjoys our products."
Still, gummy bears might seem an odd choice for a pro athlete to endorse. But how many times have you wondered, "Gee, I have my doubts as to if Hollywood's Claire Danes really uses Lysol," or something like that? It's not hard to imagine Flacco gobbling up handfuls of Gold Bears. (His favorite flavor is pineapple.)
Sure, the common wisdom on gelatinis gummy candy is that it "hibernates in your colon," but with the right gummy bears, it's the journey that matters. And it's the yummiest of journeys when it comes to these particular gummy bears. It can be a frustrating love affair, sometimes.
Have you ever gone into a Walgreens and looked on the Haribo Gold Bears rack and it's empty? Of course you have, it's like that several times a month! And they can't be gummy worms or gummy dinosaurs or gummy Go-Bots. They have to be bears. And they must be Haribo. Because of the run on product it will inspire, Flacco's endorsement isn't going to help this recurring crisis. Especially if the Ravens win the Super Bowl.
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