Phelps Signs Endorsement Deal With Md. Razor Company
WINDSOR MILL, Md. (WJZ) -- Olympian Michael Phelps inked a new endorsement deal with a Baltimore-based company. The partnership comes less than a year before the 2016 Olympics and is the first since he pleaded guilty to a DUI last December.
Christie Ileto has more on his comeback.
He will be an investor and spokesperson for 800razors.com, a new but fast-growing company that's throwing its weight behind Phelps, who's bouncing back from 2014.
When you're the most decorated Olympian, endorsements are quick to follow. This week, Michael Phelps added 800razors.com.
"Michael Phelps liked the product; he found it worked for him," said Philip Masiello.
The two-year-old company sold its shaving products strictly online and is Phelps' first deal since pleading guilty to DUI. Police caught him weaving through traffic in the Fort McHenry Tunnel with a blood alcohol level almost twice the legal limit.
"No, there's no concerns with it. Michael is a young guy; he's made a mistake and he's taken steps to correct that mistake," he said.
The terms of this latest deal aren't public but marketing experts say Phelps may have been drawn to the razor company because it's locally based and affiliated with the nonprofit Chimes. Chimes provides job opportunities for those with disabilities and the Phelps Foundation supports the Special Olympics.
"It sounds like Michael Phelps is really asserting his brand in some of the life decisions that he's made," said marketing expert Michele Tomlinson. "He's putting a lot of distance between himself and the DUI charges."
Meaning more endorsements could follow.
This deal comes 10 months before Phelps hopes to compete in the 2016 Olympics.
His other endorsements include companies like Maryland-based Under Armour, Omega and Sol Republic Headphones.