NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal‘s incredible career and larger-than-life personality made him among the most sought-after names for brands during his playing days. Since retirement, Shaq’s demand has only increased. His deal with Epson, the world’s largest printer manufacturer, is part of his intriguing portfolio. The former Los Angeles Lakers superstar signed up to become the company’s brand ambassador in 2019. Recently, the brand released an advertisement with O’Neal endorsing their new EcoTank printer.
Advertisement
The commercial, uploaded on YouTube by Epson, starts with the basketball star’s printer running out of Magenta ink, prompting him to dig through his box of cartridges to load into the machine. However, he’s frustrated after realizing that he doesn’t have a spare cartridge. The big man then complains about not wanting to go to the store before a voiceover introduces the new Epson EcoTank, which Shaq then uses to print a poster that reads ‘Shaq’s Funhouse.’ He then busts out a couple of moves to close the ad.
Shaq did another advertisement endorsing the EcoTank Printer in 2023. He played a double role in the video, with one using the EcoTank printer and the other using an ordinary printer. The latter complained about cartridges and the printer costing him a fortune before the former introduced the Epson Ecotank, which uses refills instead of cartridges. O’Neal then explains its benefits before doing a shimmy.
Shaq even roped in his mother, Lucille, to star in an advertisement promoting the Epson FastFoto Scanner. The duo shows off the product’s incredible ability to enhance old photos. It ends with a hilarious bit where Mama Lucille shows O’Neal a feature he wasn’t aware of and mockingly tells him, “And you call yourself a spokesperson?”
Despite printers not being a product that a basketball player would usually be associated with, O’Neal’s stellar work makes all three advertisements memorable. Epson took a punt on signing the Hall of Famer and struck gold. The company’s revenue declined in 2019, 2020, and 2021, but has steadily increased over the past two years. O’Neal’s presence as a brand ambassador has helped the company turn the tide in its revenue.
Shaquille O’Neal’s deal with Epson
Shaquille O’Neal’s brand value lands him lucrative endorsement opportunities all the time, but his stellar business acumen also helps him score important positions in major companies. In 2023, Reebok signed him as a brand ambassador for their basketball division’s relaunch and named him the department’s president.
However, his deal with Epson is pretty straightforward. He signed as the company’s brand ambassador in 2019 and has his dedicated section on their website. It describes him as an “NBA Hall of Famer, business leader, and philanthropist,” and has a quote from him that reads,
“Between family and work, life keeps me pretty busy. I’m always on the lookout for products that make everyday tasks quick and easy, so I can focus on the things that matter most. Epson simply offers the best printing and home technology out there.”
Epson’s regulatory disclosure revealed O’Neal was paid $8.25 million over three years to endorse the brand. While that deal expired in 2022, O’Neal’s cutout was on display at the company’s ‘Ink Boldly’ partner conference in February 2023. He also featured in an advertisement released in July 2023, suggesting the two parties have extended their partnership. There are no details about O’Neal’s new deal with Epson, but it’s clear that they are content with his impact on their business and want him to continue being the face of their product.
