Uh, why is Tom Brady in the office? How celebrity-brand partnerships are evolving

Brands are leaning on prominent figures to do more than just put their famous faces on TV.

Let it be known: celebs need health insurance, too.

Uh, why is Tom Brady in the office? How celebrity-brand partnerships are evolving

Endorsements aren’t going out of style — celebrity spokespeople will continue hawking products unabated via ever-pervasive sponsored content.

But brands are finding new, clever ways to work with prominent figures, including adding them to their staff directories.

Delta takes a flier

Delta Air Lines recently bucked the typical sponsorship model when it announced that retired quarterback Tom Brady would be joining its team as a strategic adviser.

  • What does the job entail? Brady will primarily consult with Delta on developing training and team-building materials for employees, per Fast Company.

Delta hopes Brady’s Super Bowl-winning teamwork and leadership skills will rub off on its employees. In exchange, Brady gains a long-term partnership that stabilizes him — and his bank account — following a 23-season NFL career that earned him $530m+.

Bringing in famous faces can really work

One successful example can be found in Sofia Richie Grainge, who joined Nudestix as the brand’s first Nude beauty director last year, supporting product development and brand growth. Grainge has also invested in the brand.

  • The partnership has been fruitful — when coverage of Grainge’s late-April wedding blew up on TikTok, the Nudestix products used for her bridal look saw a 2.8k% spike in sales.

As the entertainment industry grows more precarious — today is Day 84 of the SAG-AFTRA strike, and generative AI concerns are continually rising — evolved brand-celebrity partnerships could become an increasingly appealing avenue for big names to supplement their income.

Bottom line: You may want to familiarize yourself with these work conflict de-escalation tactics before your future deskmate clutters up all your shared workspace with their Golden Globe statuettes.

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