As consumer brands go, BankPlus may not have the name recognition of DirecTV or Reebok, but the three companies share a celebrity spokesman: the New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.
Even before Mr. Manning became the No. 1 pick in the 2004 National Football League draft and had lined up endorsements with the satellite cable giant and the athletic apparel company, he had negotiated a deal with the $1.2 billion-asset BankPlus Corp., of Belzoni, Miss.
In fact, David Dumeyer, BankPlus’ director of marketing, said Mr. Manning and his representatives initiated discussions in February, two months before he was drafted by the San Diego Chargers. (The team traded his rights to the Giants later that day.)
“We got a call from Eli and Archie [Eli’s father, also a former NFL quarterback] asking if we had any interest in an endorsement, and we immediately confirmed interest and started negotiations,” Mr. Dumeyer said.
Signing a three-year deal with a football star — Mr. Dumeyer would not say how much the bank is paying Mr. Manning — was a big departure for BankPlus, whose previous advertising consisted of a few rate ads in local papers.
The first commercial, which debuted shortly after the draft, depicts Eli Manning and his father at a mock press conference. The first question is, “You have just been selected first in the draft. How are you going to celebrate?” Eli responds confidently, “Go to the bank.”
Another spot, which just started running, shows him looking at what is thought to be a playbook in the locker room before a game, but it turns out to be his wealth management plan from BankPlus.
Bill Henkel, Mr. Manning’s agent with the sports marketing firm IMG of Kansas City, said he and the Mannings decided a local bank would be a good endorsement. Banks are trusted and involved in the community, so endorsing one would work well with the player’s “squeaky-clean” image, Mr. Henkel said.
A bank in Mississippi was the natural choice, because both Eli and Archie were star quarterbacks at the University of Mississippi.
“We thought it was a good marriage,” Mr. Henkel said. “With the professionalism of banks, we new it would not tarnish the reputation that Eli had worked so hard to develop.”
(Eli’s brother Peyton, the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, attended the University of Tennessee.)
The Mannings considered three banks and settled on BankPlus after Archie had studied their balance sheets and strategic plans, Mr. Henkel said.
They “really liked BankPlus,” he said. “Even though they weren’t the 800-pound gorilla in the market, they were real aggressive and wanted to do something to keep on building.”
It also probably did not hurt that Bill Ray, BankPlus’ president and chief executive, is also an Ole Miss alumnus.
Though it is hard to judge how effective the commercials have been, they have definitely gotten the BankPlus name in front of the public more, Mr. Dumeyer said.
“Our goal was to raise top-of-the-mind awareness so people would remember us and would be willing to consider us,” he said. “We have had very good months the past two months, and I think some of that can be attributed to this.”
