Posted: 6:12 pm Tue, January 19, 2010
By Liz Farmer
Daily Record Business Writer
The face of Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher will be coming to a billboard near you this summer as the rookie player has signed his first major endorsement deal.
AirTran Airways has reached a multi-year agreement with Oher, who finished second in the running for The Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. The terms of the deal, announced Tuesday by AirTran, were not disclosed.
“AirTran is very involved in the communities we serve, and to partner with someone like Michael Oher, who’s such an inspiration on and off the field, is a match made in heaven,” said AirTran spokesman Christopher White.
Oher joins teammate Todd Heap on the AirTran roster, which includes quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Donovan McNabb; NBA All-Star Dwight Howard and racecar driver Danica Patrick. Heap signed with AirTran in August 2008.
The deal is an unusual score for a lineman, said Susan Goodell, senior director of Baltimore marketing firm Warschawski. Normally the faces on billboards are ball handlers like quarterbacks, receivers or running backs.
“But if you’re looking at it locally, the Ravens tend to buck the trend,” she said. “Baltimore sort of appreciates the ‘hard work in the trenches’ mentality.”
White said AirTran plans to roll out outdoor advertising (including in airports) featuring Oher before the start of the next NFL season. Oher will also be used in AirTran radio spots.
The Ravens’ 2009 first-round draft choice was the subject of the 2006 book “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game,” which was adapted into a movie that was released last November. White said the portrayal of Oher’s hard-knock life in the movie influenced AirTran’s decision to sign him.
The next challenge for Oher, Goodell said, will be separating Michal Oher “The Blind Side” from Michael Oher the Raven. That starts with building his profile in the community first and showing potential sponsors what his brand is about.
“He could partner with Big Brothers, Big Sisters or whatever resonates with him,” she said. “Build that reputation first — he came from a troubled past and he’s attached to this story, but there’s nothing attached moving forward,” she said.
AirTran is also a partner with the Ravens. Oher commemorated the deal Tuesday by signing his name next to Todd Heap’s signature on AirTran’s “Ravens 1,” a custom painted Boeing 717 commercial aircraft that features the team’s logo on its tail.