The Selling Of The Joe DiMaggio Brand

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Feb 9th 2011 at 12:01AM

Last month I wrote about the multi-million dollar deal for the rights to Marilyn Monroe's name. Now comes news that one of her husbands, the late "Yankee Clipper" Joe DiMaggio is also stepping into the spotlight as a consumer product brand. The estate of the baseball player has agreed to put his name and likeness on a variety of new products.

Bats, t-shirts and other merchandise will commemorate the 70th anniversary of DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak but that's not all. The DiMaggio brand will also be extended into men's clothing and accessories and could also include food and fragrance. The legend of DiMaggio, both because of his connection to Monroe, and because of his legendary sports prowess, is one that has stood the test of time. Even people who were not alive when he was playing baseball are familiar with his name. The 13-time All-Star and nine-time World Series champ last played in 1951 and died in 1999.

Morris Engelberg, the baseball star's longtime friend and lawyer, told the NY Post that he waited so long to make a deal because when DiMaggio was on his deathbed he asked Engelberg to protect his name. Engelberg will serve as counsel for the licensing initiative and plans to be vigilant in protecting the legacy of the baseball star.

Tags: Joe DiMaggio, marilyn monroe, naming rights