Nike Inc. has bolstered their lineup of advertisements by adding a new face to their campaign: male model Rudy Bundini. The model has shot for Versace, Armani, Calvin Klein and Puma, among others.
Bundini’s tall athletic physique and strong facial features led him to represent the Nike sports brand. The model’s first commercial with the video has gone viral, with millions of social media views across multiple platforms.
His athletic background, which includes boxing and swimming on the national team and winning a gold medal in boxing, made Bundini the perfect choice to model for Nike. The model is one of many who is receiving lucrative deals with Nike ahead of the sports season.
Nike, known for using sponsorships and endorsements to boost sales, is reportedly working on a deal with Liverpool FC, the English football club, that is $91 million. The deal would be the highest in Premier League history.
Warriors rookie Eric Paschall has also signed a deal with Nike. Paschall was drafted in the second round at the 2019 NBA Draft. He was the one to break the news that he signed on with Nike Basketball via a Twitter Post.
Paschall was a big name for the Villanova Wildcats last year, leading the team to the No.1 spot in the Big East. His record with the team was 26 – 10 and he finished the regular seasons with 16.5 points per game on average with 6.1 rebounds per game.
As captain of the team, he led the team to the Big East Tournament Championship last year and won.
Paschall was selected number 41 overall in the draft and is considered one of the league’s most promising power forwards.
The company’s recent additions to their company’s endorsement and commercial segment come just weeks after the company faced backlash for reducing contracts for pregnant athletes. The company was found to require performance standards for athletes, and was questioned on why they didn’t guarantee protection in their contracts for pregnant women and new mothers.
The company has since stated that they will waive the performance reduction clause in their contracts for a period of 12 months for any of their athletes who do decide to have a baby. The company will not apply any performance-related deductions to contracts for a period that is no longer than 18 months. The company will not have the right to terminate a contract as a result of the athlete not competing due to being pregnant.
