Kim Yuna - homegirl is everywhere. The Queen, as she is fondly called, graces the windows of store fronts left and right, pairing her face with everything from cell phones to clothing lines to banking services. According to CNN, Yuna landed $10 million worth in sponsorships and endorsements immediately after her Olympic win. Aside from her own benefit, the Kim Yuna brand has been stimulating the Korean economy itself.
All the Yuna sightings made me think of America's own endorsement King. According to Forbes, Tiger Woods brought in $105 million in endorsements in 2009 - more than the next three highest paid athletes combined. While Tiger Woods' figure dwarfs Kim Yuna's, their choice of products and their public image raise some interesting points. Even though Tiger ostensibly has more endorsement deals, you couldn't say that you walk around and see his face everywhere. Yuna is an omnipresent spokesperson to the people, the everyday passerby, while Tiger's caters to a more exclusive consumer. Tiger has been called a lot of things this year as a result of his actions, none of which is equivalent to The Queen or The Fairy of the Ice.
Clearly, it's not enough to be amazing at your given sport - not all athlete endorsers are created equal.
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