That seems to be the mantra for Brand Affinity Technologies, a startup that offers a “one-stop shopping opportunity” for advertisers to hook up with athletes quickly and somewhat on the cheap for TV, outdoor, radio, print and/or online campaigns.
Founded by online ad vets Ryan and Chad Steelberg, BAT uses its website as its place of business. According to the New York Times, the company, whose platform features more than 3,000 top athletes and celebrities in markets nationwide, aims to “automate the process by which marketers offer contracts to athletes, along with the process by which ads featuring those endorsers are created and produced. The Web site promises that those transactions will take no more than 96 hours.”
New Orleans Saints passing dynamo Drew Brees is the most recent notable athlete to sign with BAT, which also counts boxer Lennox Lewis and New York Giants RB Brandon Jacobs on its roster.
The NYT says that BAT requires the bare minimum in terms of time from the athlete, who has to spend approximately 20 to 30 minutes being photographed for the company while providing audio and video clips. Regardless, the company has already signed deals with big brands like Microsoft, CBS and Emmis Communications. Brand Affinity’s athlete-for-hire strategy seems to be working at least in the online realm.