He is still two years away from realising his Olympic dream in Paris but Cody Simpson is already on an endorsement blitz that could make him the richest swimmer in the history of the sport.
A perfect mix of looks, style, athleticism and with a big dose of celebrity clout thanks to his previous career as an international pop star, Simpson, 26, is a ‘branding dream’ according to industry experts.
The photogenic Gold Coaster already boasts just over 4.2million Instagram followers – one million more than US super-fish Michael Phelps who holds the crown for world’s most successful Olympian.
His count also dwarfs that of Australia’s most famous pool legend Ian Thorpe who has an Instagram following of just over 70,000.
Pop star-tuned-swimmer Cody Simpson leaving training on the Gold Coast on Friday morning
Simpson is already on an endorsement blitz that could make him the richest swimmer in the history of the sport
Simpson with swimmerand rumoured new love Emma McKeon on the Gold Coast
Just one year in to his official tilt at Olympic gold, Simpson has already stitched up an enviable list of endorsements through management powerhouse IMG, with lucrative deals already in place with Hugo Boss, Myer, Versace and G Star denim.
That list is likely to only swell in the lead up to Paris 2024 as companies look to attach themselves to what is shaping as one of the most unique celebrity stories in sporting history.
Even without winning gold in the 100m fly in Paris – which Simpson has stated is the ‘end game’ of his career switch – the multi-talented Aussie could break new ground in terms of what a swimmer can rake in financially.
Phelps, who retired in 2016 after five games and 28 medals, ranks as the richest swimmer in the world with an estimated fortune of AUD$75million made up of major, long term deals with companies like Louis Vuitton, Omega, Colgate and Under Armour.
Simpson, having only made one representative team so far following his performance at the Nationals last month, already has several lucrative apparel deals in place including German luxury fashion house Hugo Boss and Pharrell William’s denim label G Star Raw.
Simpson dated Miley Cyrus for about a year before they had a ‘mutual separation’ in 2020
One of the world’s biggest luxury labels, Hugo Boss, has an arrangement with Simpson
After his relationship with Cyrus, Simpson dated model Marloes Stevens (pictured)
More recently he has inked a long-term multi-year deal with Myer Menswear and has several smaller deals in place with swimwear brand Engine and sports supplement company Vital Performance.
However more deals are likely to follow in the wake of Simpson’s recent move to talent management giant IMG – a global stable which guides the the careers of sports megastars Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning and pop star Justin Timberlake.
The singer-turned-swimmer still also has a major recording deal in place with Atlantic Records and Warner Music this year released his first album in six years.
Maintaining a hand in the music industry – as well the global recognition drawn from his modelling career and brief relationship global pop star Miley Cyrus – makes Simpson a rare commodity in the celebrity marketing world; someone with multi-platform ‘cut through’.
Cody ‘straddles a number of worlds, sport, fashion and music..it’s no wonder companies are clamouring’ says brand expert
McKeon and Simpson at a training session ahead of the 2021 Australian National Olympic Swimming Trials in South Australia in 2021
Even without winning gold in the 100m fly in Paris – which Simpson has stated is the ‘end game’ of his career switch – the multi-talented Aussie could break new ground in terms of what a swimmer can rake in financially
‘It’s not just about swimming with Cody and he is unique in that sense,’ says Simpson’s friend and mentor Grant Hackett – himself a former Olympic champion and big earner in the swimming world.
‘He was a musician first, a celebrity first and then a swimmer. I can’t think of anyone else who has ever come into a sport, from the background that he has, and has managed to do what he has.
‘In terms of commerciality he resonates on so many different levels and that’s what will make him appealing to so many different kinds of sponsors.
‘But also you can’t forget about the fact that, at the end of the day, he has done the work. He made the decision to make himself vulnerable to the world, to give it a crack, to get himself on a nation team within two years.
‘He has done that and I think he deserves everything he gets. I would challenge anyone to be critical of the pathway he has made for himself.’
More than that, says one independent marketing expert who has worked with a number of global fashion brands, Simpson possesses a rare quality seen as a kind of ‘holy grail’ in the endorsement world.
‘There is certain style of dedication and commitment that he gives to everything he does, which started with the singing when he was younger.
‘Then he just decides to become a swimmer and as we have seen he has given that every ounce of his dedication,’ he said.
‘That speaks entirely to his personal character. And that is a quality that is very appealing to brands.
‘Plus he straddles a number of worlds, sport, fashion and music..it’s no wonder companies are clamouring.’
Matt Biondi was one of swimming’s first ‘pin ups’ and helped put the sport on the map in the 1980s
There is also the mind-boggling possibility that Simpson – already catnip to sponsors, fans and media – could actually achieve the unthinkable and win a gold media in just over two years in Paris.
It’s a prospect that could have an almighty flow-on effect to his sport which, traditionally, has struggled for mainstream attention and support from major broadcasters.
Once aired across Australia’s major free-to-air networks – predominantly Channel Nine during the golden era of the 2000 Olympics – swimming now struggles for broadcast relevance in Australia with the most recent National championships streamed through Amazon Prime.
Years before Simpson even pulled on a Speedo, a young American swimmer changed the face of the sport with similar gusto when he arrived on the scene in a hail of flash bulbs in the 1984 Olympics.
With a boy-next door good looks and chiselled physique, Matt Biondi would become a household name in the US and would go on to win 11 Olympic medals, hold world records in five events and contest three Summer Olympic Games in 1984, 1988 and 1992.
‘A rising tide lifts all boats’. Simpson can raise the profile of swimming says US swim legend Matt Biondi
He was also one of the first swimmers to establish a lucrative endorsement career and helped raise the profile of the sport – something he says Simpson is now well positioned to do.
‘I was down in our community pool about a year ago and recognised Cody and he recognised me as well,’ Biondi told Daily Mail Australia.
‘We chatted for a bit, enjoyed our conversation, he seemed like a really down to earth chap.
‘Obviously anytime a competitor breaks through the marketing barriers of swimming there’s benefit to all.
‘A rising tide lifts all boats. Exposure and name recognition is the key. The problem swimming has always had is that there’s not enough regular hours on TV for the public to know these athletes like they know Cody or Michael Phelps.
‘Few TV hours translates to few marketing dollars, plain and simple.’
The singer-turned-swimmer still also has a major recording deal in place with Atlantic Records and Warner Music this year released his first album in six years
Simpson’s influence could also, ultimately, pave the way for others swimmers to land on the radar of major brands.
At present Australia’s top-tier swimmers earn an average annual salary of just $26,000 – a figure well below the minimum wage and one generally seen as a turn off for elite athletes looking to a career in the pool.
According to Hackett, the challenge now lies with Swimming Australia to leverage Simpson’s new-found popularity in a way that benefits the sport and its athletes.
‘Let’s see if Swimming Australia can be a bit more dynamic and capitalise on this new kind of interest in the sport that Cody is generating,’ Hackett told the Daily Mail Australia.
‘The sport has been very purist which is fine in many ways but at the same time we have to start doing new things to keep the interest levels high.
‘Whether they have what it takes to do it I’m not sure. I think the jury’s out on that one.’
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