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Landon Donovan’s personal brand soars during the World Cup
June 19, 2014  |  by Magneto Brand Advertising

The World Cup is underway! The United States started strong against Ghana, even with Landon Donovan, United States superstar, not gracing the roster.

A little about Landon

Landon Donovan:

Why he was really left off the squad, we’ll never know, but some great advertising came out of Jurgen Klinsmann’s folly and Landon Donovan’s personal brand has never been better.

The humor 

When LA Galaxy – Landon Donovan’s club team – released this spot, Skip Work, Watch the World Cup, it very easily could have been cringe-worthy. Most clubs would sweep the negative press under the rug, but LA Galaxy capitalized on Donovan’s humor and personality to create a spot that faced the controversy head on.

EA Sports released a spot earlier this week, again showing what Donovan might be doing during the World Cup. The writing shows a range of emotions, but as Landon Donovan sings, “I’m not going to Brazil” at the end and laughs – it shows a personality rarely seen in sports marketing, especially after such a disappointment.

Donovan was willing to do these spots and the writing showcased his candor following a devastating blow to his career. He easily could have vented to the media about his frustration, but instead, he (and no doubt, his PR team) found other ways to gain positive attention off the field.

As an ESPN commentator

 ESPN swooped on the opportunity to bring Donovan on as a commentator, broadcasting from LA during the World Cup. Donovan brings a wealth of knowledge about the U.S. team and will bring a number of fans to watch the ESPN coverage, if only to hear Donovan’s thoughts.

Donovan, in his first commentary with ESPN, only went so far to say that he disagreed with coach Klinsmann’s assessment that the United States cannot win the World Cup.

Though not necessarily a completely positive thing to say, it was honest and loyal to the U.S. team, whom he thought deserved better thoughts from Klinsmann. He easily could have complained about his situation or shown bitterness, but he remained poised on camera, to his credit. Donovan is paving his way to a position as a reputable sportscaster when he hangs up his cleats in the coming years.

Landon Donovan’s personal brand

As an athlete, there are millions of dollars to be made through sponsorships and appearances – especially with Donovan’s clout in the United States soccer community.

Sponsors are more likely to offer high-value deals to athletes who they can trust to represent their brand in the best light possible. Donovan represented U.S. Soccer well, even though he wasn’t called to Brazil. His actions in the past few weeks have been nothing but admirable and will likely lead to new endorsements.

And sports fans across the country have been drawn to Donovan’s sincerity since the World Cup snub. Everyone – especially young people who idolize sports stars – love and want to support down-to-earth, friendly people. And a sense of humor doesn’t hurt, either.

Well done, Donovan. Even though we’re Timbers fans, you’ve got our support. Have you been watching the World Cup? How did you react to the Landon Donovan news? Tweet away @MagnetoAgency!

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