TORONTO, July 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- When the clock struck midnight on July 1st and name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules for college athletes went into effect, The Influence Agency and Six Star Pro Nutrition quickly became the first agency and brand partners to sign paid endorsements with 5 U.S. college athletes. The list includes Edgar Padilla Jr. (University of Illinois, Basketball), Hanna and Haley Cavinder (Fresno State, Basketball), Moriah Oliveira (University of Miami, Athletics), Gage Dyer (Oklahoma University, Gymnastics), and many more to come. After years of ongoing legislation, members of the student athlete association, U.S. state legislators, and members of Congress have now made it legal for student athletes to sell their NIL and enter into paid endorsement deals.
Toronto-based digital marketing agency, The Influence Agency, and Six Star Pro Nutrition partnered with Edgar Padilla Jr, a sophomore men’s basketball player, who made the first post at 12:01 a.m. on the historic day. The partnership is a full-circle moment for the Padilla family as Padilla Jr.’s father, Edgar Sr., and his uncle, Giddel, were both players on the 1996 University of Massachusetts’ Final Four team when the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) stripped the team of their Final Four title because a player accepted a gift from an agent.
Athletes posed with the brand’s 100% Whey Protein in one hand, and a $1 bill signalling they made their first dollar by partnering with Six Star Pro Nutrition.
“Working with The Influence Agency allowed us to be nimble and creative when it came to the campaign’s overall execution,” said Jarrod Jordan, the Chief Marketing Officer for Iovate Health Sciences International, the parent company of Six Star Pro Nutrition. “TIA’s ability to streamline our influencer contracting and negotiation process was one of the reasons Six Star Pro Nutrition was able to sign athletes right at 12:01 a.m.”
Twin sisters Hanna and Haley Cavinder, of the Fresno State women’s basketball team, were also amongst the first to enter into an endorsement deal with Six Star Pro Nutrition. The twins have a combined social following of over 500K followers on Instagram and more than 1M on TikTok.
“Over the past few years, our team has collaborated with Six Star Nutrition to execute stellar marketing campaigns with several professional athletes. Being able to translate this area of expertise into the world of collegiate sports is a new and exciting opportunity for our agency and the industry as a whole,” says Tom Yawney, partner and Director of Business Development at The Influence Agency. “It’s been a long time coming, but we’ve officially entered a new era of influencer and sports marketing. There are over 400K student athletes in the U.S. who are now able to become influencers and change student marketing for all. We’re thrilled to see the impact of having college athletes become paid partners with global brands and, in turn, grow their brands as well.”
This landmark ruling is a victory for college athletes across the U.S. and will create new opportunities for athletes to delve into the ever-growing world of influencer marketing. The Influence Agency and Six Star Pro Nutrition are excited to continue their work in ushering in the new wave of influencers in the sports marketing and nutrition industry.
About The Influence Agency
The Influence Agency is an award-winning digital marketing agency based in Toronto, Canada. Since their start in 2017, they’ve established themselves as one of the country’s most sought-after agencies for strategizing and executing some of the biggest influencer and digital marketing campaigns. They’ve worked alongside notable brands including Iovate Health Sciences Inc., Jamieson Vitamins, Universal Music Canada, Puma, Lowes, and Napoleon – an impressive roster that only continues to grow!
With a team made up of some of the brightest digital media professionals, the agency specializes in custom marketing strategies for brands and influencers around the globe. They’ve developed and delivered a wide range of online marketing programs for both SMBs and some of the biggest brands in the world alike, with results that consistently eclipse expectations. They’re experts and industry leaders in social media advertising, remarketing, content strategy, and experiential marketing support. They help take brands to the next level with a holistic and comprehensive digital marketing approach, to help them stand out in today’s saturated market.
To learn more about The Influence Agency, click here.
About Iovate Health Sciences International Inc.
Iovate Health Sciences International Inc. (“Iovate”) is a dynamic, leading-edge nutritional company that delivers some of the highest quality, most innovative, and effective active nutrition products in the world. With brand innovations such as Six Star Pro Nutrition®, Iovate is committed to being the number one active nutrition company in the world. Six Star Pro Nutrition® is designed to be the athlete’s choice — fueling all levels of athletic performance, allowing for excellence on the field, court, ice, and in the gym.
Due to our commitment to research, development, and innovation, we’ve been globally recognized as one of the leading sports nutrition brands in the industry and continue to be one of the elite brands redefining performance through cutting-edge products and high-quality ingredients.
Headquartered in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, Iovate is a family of more than 300 employees, six leading nutritional brands, and growing, with effective products that can be found across the globe.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Tanya Cruz, The Influence Agency at TCruz@theinfluenceagency.com;
Kaela Johnson, The Influence Agency at KJohnson@theinfluenceagency.com