Pelé among the big names that never die

The names of sports icons are immortal. Pelé (Edson Arantes do Nascimento) transcends among great brands such as Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali or Diego Maradona. The weight of his names spawned a legacy of sports marketing that remains profitable over the years.

Despite retiring from the sport 45 years ago, Pelé was still in demand as an image for brands and always set the limit with what he did not want to be associated with: alcoholic beverages or tobacco.

For the past year, the Pelé brand has been managed through Prime Licensing, a Rio de Janeiro-based company financed by a real estate developer. The company was behind a deal with Puma last year to launch Pelé shoe and clothing lines. He was also behind a new autobiography and the creation of “Pelestation-The Legend in Action”, an exhibition in Berlin to coincide with the World Cup.

In 2015, Forbes recorded Pele’s annual earnings as an estimated $15 million and ranked him 10th on its list of highest-paid retired athletes. He had contracts with big companies like Puma, Master Card, Procter & Gamble, Volkswagen, Subway and Emirates Airlines. He collaborated for more than 10 brands. The ad that generated the most controversy was that of Viagra from the Pfizer brand.

deportes@eleconomista.mx