‘A brand in and of himself’: Behind the strategy that built Patrick Mahomes into the NFL’s most marketable star
With 15 endorsements and 575 national TV ads this season, the star Chiefs QB’s branding journey is next to none in football
As soon as the Kansas City Chiefs arrived in Las Vegas a week before Super Bowl LVIII, Patrick Mahomes turned into a walking endorsement.
Cameras flashed the 28-year-old star quarterback fresh off the team plane, draped in name brands — from Oakley sunglasses to his signature Adidas sneakers and a rolling Louis Vuitton suitcase stamped with a massive “2PM” logo. Mahomes accented the fit with a snapback hat from City Brim Co., a local Missouri brand with less than 1,000 Instagram followers. Yet, on the retailer’s website, the hat’s been sold out for weeks, presumably thanks to the superstar signal-caller who has brands, big and small, salivating at the opportunity to represent them in football’s biggest moments.
This season, Mahomes transformed into the most marketable player in the NFL — and it’s not even close.
“Patrick is a brand in and of himself,” Corey Hill, head of global sports marketing at Oakley, told Andscape. “His marketability is out of this world.”
On Super Bowl Sunday, within minutes after Mahomes threw the game-winning touchdown to deliver the Chiefs a 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers, several of his brand partners fired off congratulatory posts celebrating their marquee endorser.
According to 1Up Sports Marketing, the agency representing Mahomes since 2018, the now three-time champion and Super Bowl MVP is officially signed as an endorser for 15 different companies. He promotes everything from his own Oakley eyewear and Adidas signature shoes to Subway sandwiches, Head & Shoulders shampoo and even Hy-Vee, a grocery store chain in the Midwest and South. Mahomes’ other endorsements: Airshare (fractional aircraft ownership company), Boss, CommunityAmerica credit union, Coors Light, Essentia water, Fortnite (Epic Games), Prime Hydration drink, T-Mobile and Whoop (fitness/sleep device).
“Fortunately, Patrick is an athlete who had his own vision from day 1,” Jacquelyn Dahl, CEO of 1Up, told Andscape via email. “It’s always been his vision, and we’re just here to help execute it.”
According to TV measurement company iSpot.tv, Mahomes was the most-seen athlete or coach in national linear TV ads during the 2023 NFL season.
In games from Sept. 7, 2023, to the Super Bowl on Feb. 11, 2024, Mahomes appeared in exactly 575 national linear TV ads. That means, on average, in the 285 total games played during the 2023 season, Mahomes appeared in an ad at least twice during each nationally televised game. And, out of his 575 total national TV ads airing this season, 429 were for State Farm Insurance. Bottom line: In the past six months, watching an NFL game this season without seeing Mahomes in a State Farm spot was impossible.
“We knew early on that Patrick was going to be a great fit for State Farm because of his commitment to excellence and our shared values of making a positive impact on the community,” Alyson Griffin, vice president of marketing for State Farm, told Andscape in an exclusive statement. “We’ve enjoyed working with him over the years and our campaign for the 2023 football season featuring Patrick alongside Travis Kelce, coach Andy Reid and Jake from State Farm is the perfect example of entertaining and capturing the attention of sports fans. We hope to continue that momentum with Patrick in 2024.”
Entering the playoffs, Mahomes actually trailed Chiefs teammate and tight end Travis Kelce in national linear TV ad appearances during NFL games this season, likely due to the mania surrounding his superstar girlfriend, Taylor Swift. Yet, companies doubled down on ads featuring Mahomes during Kansas City’s four-game run to the Super Bowl. Per iSpot.Kelce’s 431 national linear TV ad appearances during games ranked second amongst all NFL players this season, behind only his quarterback, Mahomes.
“Patrick believes in partnering with brands that he truly believes in, top to bottom,” Dahl told Andscape. “He always takes a personal deep dive into what a brand stands for, the leadership, its history and long-term goals. He always says it’s about ensuring that his vision matches up with that of the team behind each brand.”
Mahomes’ reach even extends beyond football. Not only is the Chiefs quarterback the most marketable player in the NFL, but he’s also one of the most advertised athletes nationally across all sports. According to iSpot.tv, since September 2023, Mahomes ranks No. 4 in national ad airings across all TV, with over 26,000 appearances, trailing only Shaquille O’Neal and Peyton and Eli Manning. In the same timeframe, per iSpot.tv, Mahomes ranked No. 1 in estimated national TV ad spend; and, among current athletes, he ranks No. 1 in national ad airings across all TV, with over 10,000 more than the next, LeBron James.
“I say this often because I truly believe it — he’s a unicorn,” Dahl told Andscape. “Not only is Patrick one of the greatest athletes in the world, but he is equally as special of a human, husband, father, teammate, philanthropist and more.
“It’s all these qualities that make him so attractive to brands who are looking for an ambassador to represent their company.”
Adidas
In 2017, Adidas became the first company to partner with Mahomes. The Chiefs’ No. 10 overall NFL draft pick from Texas Tech University received a standard rookie footwear and apparel endorsement deal as a rookie.
Fast-forward seven years, and Mahomes now has his own Adidas signature shoe line, which debuted in 2021. Two days before Super Bowl LVIII, the three stripes announced his next shoe, the Adidas Mahomes 2, which will be released later this month.
“Patrick is an integral part of the Adidas family, and we’re thrilled to see his continued success and awe-inspiring performances,” said Chris Murphy, Adidas’ senior vice president of brand marketing, in an exclusive statement to Andscape. “He’s a generational force in sport — not just football — shaping the next generation of athletes and serving as an inspiration to all by finding joy in the game and overcoming pressure in the biggest moments.
“Adidas’ relationship with Patrick is special and continues to evolve from his first signature shoe and apparel collection in 2021. In bringing together Patrick, the most innovative player in football with our design teams, we’re building a unique player brand. And Patrick is closely aligned with and helping to develop our shared future.”
According to Murphy, Mahomes also played a pivotal role in Adidas taking over as Texas Tech’s official apparel supplier, following an 18-year run with Under Armour. In late October, Mahomes pulled up to an NFL game, wearing an unreleased Adidas Texas Tech t-shirt with the caption, “Coming July 2024.” Less than two weeks later, on Nov. 1, 2023, Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt officially announced the school’s switch to three stripes.
After joining Adidas as a rookie, Mahomes landed his first deal as a national spokesperson for an unusual brand — Hunt’s Ketchup — when he became Kansas City’s starting quarterback. The partnership sprouted after a mid-November 2018 ESPN profile published in which Mahomes confessed that he puts ketchup on almost everything.
“Apparently, Patrick was in Kansas City’s finest steakhouses putting ketchup on steak,” said Dan Skinner, the content and communications manager for Conagra Brands, the parent company of Hunt’s. “It wasn’t in our thought process to say, ‘Hey, Hunt’s, we’re gonna go find the greatest rising talent in the NFL.’ Patrick just had a natural love for ketchup, and we saw it as an opportunity for us. The timing was also perfect, because we were getting ready to launch a new version of our 100% all-natural ketchup. So, we moved very quickly to get Patrick.”
Within a few weeks, Mahomes struck a one-year endorsement deal with the condiment company. And for the first time since television host Roy Clark in the 1980s, Hunt’s had a national face of its brand — the then-23-year-old, ketchup-obsessed NFL quarterback.
To this day, Skinner remembers the exact date — Dec. 14, 2018 — when Mahomes filmed his debut promotional video for Hunt’s. That’s because, less than 24 hours prior, Mahomes experienced one of the worst defeats of his NFL career after the Chiefs fell to the Los Angeles Chargers, 29-28, on Thursday Night Football.
Despite the loss, Mahomes arrived on time for his first ketchup endorsement shoot the following day.
“I hadn’t met Patrick yet. So, it was one of those things like, ‘What kind of mood is this guy gonna be in?’” Skinner recalled. “I wouldn’t have been surprised if his manager called right before and said, ‘Patrick can’t come anymore.’ But he showed up the next morning by himself, ready to go, like, ‘Alright, what do I need to do?’”
Mahomes appeared in four different Hunt’s commercials from 2018 to 2019, when the partnership ended amicably midway through his breakout season, culminating with his first Super Bowl victory.
“I’ve always been so appreciative of what a professional he was that first day,” Skinner said. “The fact that he came to the shoot without any representatives is still wild. But, it was a moment in time when he was a rising star. We had the privilege of working with him early, and loved every minute of it.”
Oakley
One of Mahomes’ biggest endorsements arrived in 2019 when the NFL agreed to a four-year deal with Oakley to become an official on-field partner and league licensee. In a separate landmark agreement, Oakley named Mahomes the first-ever NFL player to join the global sunglass brand.
“The question was, ‘Who would be the right player in the NFL for Oakley?’” Hill told Andscape. “One of the things we talked about when we considered signing Patrick was we kept seeing all of these young kids who wanted his unique hairstyle. So, we could tell very early on that this guy had some type of ‘it’ factor. To be honest, we originally didn’t even look to see if Patrick wore shades off the field.
“How he connected with kids and youth really was the main factor in deciding that he would be a great brand ambassador for us.”
In 2021, Oakley teamed up with the quarterback’s 15 and the Mahomies Foundation for a vision care clinic in Kansas City to help kids, and their families cut back on the cost of eyewear.
“Most times, when athletes do an appearance, they’re in and out,” Hill said. “When we did the eye clinic with Patrick, he actually gave his time. He was there with the kids, talking to them, signing autographs. It was pretty amazing.”
Don’t get it twisted, though: Oakley has reaped the benefits of Mahomes’ ubiquitous rise to superstar status in the past five years. Because, just about any time he’s seen or photographed, Mahomes is sporting Oakley shades.
“When we look at athletes, we ask, “Are people looking at this athlete outside of the sport? How do they present digitally?’ Because the world is so hyperconnected. So, from a visibility standpoint, Patrick has been great for us. Not only is he wearing Oakley products, but you see him in it everywhere — his own platform, the Chiefs’ social channels, and even posts from the NFL.”
Adidas
Adidas
Since 2021, Mahomes and Oakley have collaborated for the release of four different signature sunglass collections. His initial “2PM” logo designed for him by Adidas is stamped on the lenses of every pair. You read that right: Somehow, Mahomes and his marketing team persuaded Oakley to put a logo made by another brand on its products. (The “2PM” logo is also on the Louis Vuitton suitcase Mahomes packs for games, though he’s not officially partnered with the luxury fashion brand.)
“Innovative and meticulous,” said Dahl of Mahomes’ marketing approach. “Patrick is always thinking outside the box on partnerships and brand opportunities.”
Technically, NFL players are not permitted by official league rules to endorse alcoholic beverages. So, in 2022, when Mahomes signed with Coors Light, he and the beer company got creative with their marketing. Mahomes headlined a campaign to promote “The Coors Light” — literally, a $15 flashlight that the brand produced and sold, with all proceeds benefiting 15 and the Mahomies. In 2023, Mahomes appeared in another one of the beer company’s commercials, which introduced the new “Coors Bear” mascot. In conjunction with the campaign, Coors released limited-edition golf headcovers resembling the bear that were also sold to benefit Mahomes’ foundation.
“Patrick understands the platform he has, and especially his influence over youth,” Dahl said. “And he takes pride in that responsibility with all business decisions he makes.”
Hours before Super Bowl LVII last Sunday, Mahomes pulled up to Allegiant Stadium, rocking all-black Oakleys and a custom-fit black and white Hugo Boss suit. According to a brand rep, Boss collected Mahomes’ measurements at the beginning of this season before designing him an extensive ensemble of suits to wear throughout the year. When the Chiefs punched their ticket to the biggest game of the NFL season, Mahomes became the easy pick to headline Boss’ lifestyle Super Bowl collection. The brand sent the signal-caller every piece in the capsule to wear off the field in Vegas.
Meanwhile, three miles away from Allegiant, Adidas took over the Las Vegas Sphere, where a creative video made by the footwear brand was projected onto the structure. The innovative ad featured Mahomes throwing a football to a digitally rendered version of his younger self alongside a massive three-stripe graphic. The innovative visuals, made specifically to run on the Vegas Sphere in support of Mahomes, were released as part of launching a global brand campaign surrounding youth sports.
Don Juan Moore/Getty Images
So, for Adidas, it wasn’t a matter of if Mahomes and the Chiefs would reach the Super Bowl. The company consciously decided to make preparations for when Mahomes and his team returned to the final game of the NFL season.
“We wholeheartedly believed Patrick Mahomes would be going to the Super Bowl, so we created a world around him,” Adidas’ Chris Murphy told Andscape. “We brought together some of the most proprietary technology and innovative minds, including Patrick’s team, the Sphere and several partner agencies, to help create this legendary vision.
“Patrick is the most-innovative football player and a generational force, so it’s only right we used the most innovative tech to honor his likeness.”
With his third Super Bowl title in the past five years, Patrick Mahomes is the best branding investment in sports.
“We definitely believed in Patrick’s trajectory on the performance side,” Oakley’s Corey Hill said. “But, I don’t know if any brand knew that he was gonna be doing what he’s doing now.”