Honey Stinger Signs USC Athletes to NIL Deals
Sports nutrition brand Honey Stinger’s NIL footprint now extends to the west coast as they’ve collaborated with USC to curate a diverse roster of Trojan student-athletes. From football to beach volleyball, USC is well represented in the brand's latest campaign that highlights their energy waffles.
USC athletes now collaborating with Honey Stinger include:
Aaliyah Gayles, Basketball
Bear Alexander, Football
Brandon Gardner, Basketball
Delaynie Maple, Beach Volleyball
Dillon Klein, Volleyball
Duce Robinson, Football
Kait Devir, Lacrosse
Lauren Reed, Track & Field
Led by Maple - who premiered her Honey Stinger content ahead of beach volleyball winning their fourth-straight National Championship - the campaign showcases Trojan athletes across multiple sports.
“I couldn’t imagine a more perfect NIL partnership for myself than Honey Stinger," Maple shared. "I eat their energy waffles before every match, so when this opportunity came to me, it was a no-brainer. Joining such a diverse roster of Trojan athletes for this campaign was such an honor and I loved seeing so many different teams represented.”
A unique element of this campaign is that lacrosse goalie Kait Devir - who also moonlights as a photographer - shot campaign imagery of some of the Trojans, including football's star defensive tackle Bear Alexander.
"As an athlete at USC, Honey Stinger's waffles, chews and energy gels have become a part of my routine to fuel training and game days - It’s my go-to snack to grab," Devir said. "There isn't a more authentic NIL partnership for me than this one. Marketing their products on my social media was not new news to my followers as I had been supporting their brand for years. I am very grateful to be one of the USC athletes chosen to represent our school."
"To be on both sides of the camera for this campaign brought even more appreciation to Honey Stinger," Devir added, "NIL has been such a significant change for me as an athlete and photographer, and it was unique for a company to merge my passions into one campaign."
Coordinated via NIL collective The Tommy Group, this campaign - which leveraged Honey Stinger's partnership with USC - was shot entirely on campus and features athletes in team uniforms and marks.
Honey Stinger's previous NIL collaborations includes Purdue's back-to-back National Player of the Year Zach Edey, USC football and basketball duo Zachariah Branch and DJ Rodman and Rickea Jackson of Tennessee women's basketball, among others.
"USC Athletics has been using our products since 2013, and over the years, we’ve developed a comprehensive partnership with them," said Wendy Mayo, VP of Marketing for Honey Stinger. "Since 2019, we've been working closely with USC to provide top-notch sports nutrition products that support the performance of their student athletes. This campaign signifies the culmination of years of mutual trust and dedication to excellence, and we're thrilled to continue fueling the Trojans' success both on and off the field."
In March - through a collaboration with The Brandr Group (TBG) - Honey Stinger signed group licensing deals with the likes of Arizona State, Clemson, Maryland, Pittsburgh, and the Ohio State and partnered with 40 athletes from those programs to take part in the brand's new The One Teams Trust campaign.
MICHAEL EHRLICH
Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com