Fratolillo Scores Lucrative New Endorsement Deal

Continuing a long tradition of athlete endorsement deals, the Stop & Shop Supermarket Company has announced a partnership with McInnis Carpentry Outfielder and General Manager Tom Fratolillo. Fratolillo will star in upcoming print ads for the supermarket’s recently expanded Meat Department.

“When the time came to find someone to endorse our new meat products, it was a no-brainer. We knew Tom was perfect to be the face – well, hands, really – of our new butcher-style meat department,” explained Stop and Shop Advertising Executive Elizabeth Psaros.

Psaros would not disclose specific terms of the deal, but investigative journalists at the Quincy Sun speculate that the partnership could provide Fratolillo with such lucrative compensation as Stop and Shop gift cards and free meat.

Hiring athletes to endorse products is certainly nothing new in the advertising world. An athlete’s celebrity status and athletic prowess can dramatically increase sales of a product. Golfer Tiger Woods has partnered with Gatorade to promote their beverages, and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has lent his image to Stetson Cologne. Bernt Beet, CEO of Coty, Inc which manufactures Stetson Cologne explained that Brady was chosen to pitch the fragrance because of his “rugged sophistication” and “masculine spirit”.

Psaros explains that Fratolillo was chosen because of his “willingness to get a manicure” and his “love of meat”. Later she added, “I think he plays on several softball teams as well, but I’m not sure.” One thing is for sure, the print ads will surely raise Fratolillo’s profile in the Quincy area. Ads are slated to run in the Stop and Shop circular beginning in May 2008.