Sports Law Update: Sports Endorsements Work in Japan
If you have ever wondered whether a professional athlete’s endorsement of a product produces measurable results, check out this unusual sports law controversy in Japan. Consumers are suing a purified water company because it falsely used Seattle Mariners star Ichiro’s likeness even though Ichiro does not use the product.
One of the comments from a plaintiff is startling:
In his lawsuit, the man claims that he trusted the company because he was told that Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki regularly drinks the company's water and that it was a sponsor of the Beijing Olympics and the football World Cup."
It’s not uncommon for an athlete to sue a company which falsely uses his likeness. I have never seen a case such as this one, in which consumers believe they were duped by a false endorsement. A closer review of the article reveals that only part of the lawsuit is about Ichiro's allegedly false endorsement; a rogue investor may have hyped the company, thereby inducing investors to lose large amounts of money. Still, I think this lawsuit speaks to the power of professional athlete branding - if a business is linked with the right athlete, the public will buy the product.
