A new playing field for Carlos
Sports Marketing: Athletes Instead of Beauty Queens: A new agency places well-known Swiss athletes in photo shoots, advertising campaigns, and speaking engagements, and believes it has found a niche in the market.
Sports marketing Athletes instead of misses: A new agency is brokering well-known Swiss athletes for photo shoots, advertising appearances and speeches and believes it has found a gap in the market.Martin Bruderer, co-founder of the Zurich-based agency Athletic Models, is convinced: "We have a very good chance of making the business work. Because until now, it was almost impossible to sign up top athletes individually as advertising media." Either the contact to the athletes, the approval of the club or association was missing - or you had to co-sponsor an entire team to be able to sign a player as an image carrier. At the Athletic Models agency, team players can now also be hired individually.
The agency currently has over 35 top Swiss athletes under contract - including beach volleyball players Paul and Martin Laciga, handball player Carlos Lima, tennis track Ivo Heuberger, snowboarder Ueli Kestenholz, fencer Gianna Hablützel-Bürki and disabled athlete Edith Hunkeler. By the end of the year, the number is expected to reach 50. The athletes can be used as image carriers, models, body models or as speakers. For these purposes, the agency has signed up not only photogenic athletes but also eloquent sports stars and young swimmers and ballet dancers.
On average, a sports great costs 2,500 to 12,000 francs per photo shoot. "The prices for athletes and body models are absolutely in the segment of the model scene," says Bruderer.
No competitionThe agency was founded on
February 5, 2003 by Martin Bruderer, former professional ice hockey player for the Kloten Flyers and qualified marketing planner, and Corinne Dörig, former co-founder of the Action Agency event agency. So far, Athletic Models has not yet received any large orders. "With good reason," as Bruderer explains, "We're just starting to acquire." Talks with larger advertising agencies and interested companies have already taken place, he says. "And things are looking good," says Bruderer. He's convinced, "We have a lot of interesting athletes and the know-how to select and tune in the right athlete for the right gig." Bruderer, Dörig and Co. need not fear competition at the moment. Athletic Models is the only agency in Switzerland that specializes in athletes. This is also reflected in the advertising products to date: There have not been, and still are not, too many serious advertising appearances with Swiss sports stars.
Athletic Models now wants to change that. In the coming weeks, a handful of other athletes are expected to sign with the agency. "We already have verbal commitments from three top Swiss footballers," says Martin Bruderer.
However, he can't and won't name any names yet. "But they will be top shots."
Bruderer is also tight-lipped about the fees paid to the athletes. "We receive a commission for each order. The athletes get the rest," explains Bruderer. The photo shoot is "of course" free of charge for the athletes.
Carlos Lima, Gianna Hablützel-Bürki and Paul Laciga (from left): Well-paid advertising gigs wanted.
The agency currently has over 35 top Swiss athletes under contract - including beach volleyball players Paul and Martin Laciga, handball player Carlos Lima, tennis track Ivo Heuberger, snowboarder Ueli Kestenholz, fencer Gianna Hablützel-Bürki and disabled athlete Edith Hunkeler. By the end of the year, the number is expected to reach 50. The athletes can be used as image carriers, models, body models or as speakers. For these purposes, the agency has signed up not only photogenic athletes but also eloquent sports stars and young swimmers and ballet dancers.
On average, a sports great costs 2,500 to 12,000 francs per photo shoot. "The prices for athletes and body models are absolutely in the segment of the model scene," says Bruderer.
No competitionThe agency was founded on
February 5, 2003 by Martin Bruderer, former professional ice hockey player for the Kloten Flyers and qualified marketing planner, and Corinne Dörig, former co-founder of the Action Agency event agency. So far, Athletic Models has not yet received any large orders. "With good reason," as Bruderer explains, "We're just starting to acquire." Talks with larger advertising agencies and interested companies have already taken place, he says. "And things are looking good," says Bruderer. He's convinced, "We have a lot of interesting athletes and the know-how to select and tune in the right athlete for the right gig." Bruderer, Dörig and Co. need not fear competition at the moment. Athletic Models is the only agency in Switzerland that specializes in athletes. This is also reflected in the advertising products to date: There have not been, and still are not, too many serious advertising appearances with Swiss sports stars.
Athletic Models now wants to change that. In the coming weeks, a handful of other athletes are expected to sign with the agency. "We already have verbal commitments from three top Swiss footballers," says Martin Bruderer.
However, he can't and won't name any names yet. "But they will be top shots."
Bruderer is also tight-lipped about the fees paid to the athletes. "We receive a commission for each order. The athletes get the rest," explains Bruderer. The photo shoot is "of course" free of charge for the athletes.
Carlos Lima, Gianna Hablützel-Bürki and Paul Laciga (from left): Well-paid advertising gigs wanted.
Annelies Friedli
