Beckham signs marker pen deal with US company

Global football icon David Beckham has been signed by US company Newell Rubbermaid as worldwide ambassador for its Sharpie permanent marker pen brand. The England international player is expected to spearhead a global campaign that will launch soon.

The campaign, which breaks next month in the US and from May in the UK, seeks to establish Sharpie as the “preferred autograph maker” and promote its “creative uses”.

Sharpie global business unit president Howard Heckes says that the deal would feature Beckham in a global marketing campaign in key regions around the world, including Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific. It will include print and online advertising as well as promotional and in-store support.

Beckham is the face of a number of brands and features in an ongoing campaign to promote Motorola’s luxury Razr 2 phone. He earns an estimated £10m a year from his deal with Adidas to promote Predator boots, shin pads and general sportswear and he is understood to have been worth more than £300m in marketing revenues to Real Madrid during his time with the Spanish club.