Monster Energy has added a 6’6”, 265 lb. behemoth to its stable of brand ambassadors: Rob Gronkowski. ESPN is reporting that the New England Patriots tight end has signed a multi-year endorsement deal with the energy drink giant, one that will see the end of Gronkowski’s days as a representative for Body Armor; he’s been an endorser as well as an investor in the sports drink brand since 2012. While no longer an outward face of Body Armor, Gronkowski will reportedly keep his shares in the company.
“I feel like this deal was the ultimate deal for me,” Gronkowski told ESPN.com. “Monster Energy just fits my personality. The brand is great and just like the Monster [brand], I like beautiful girls, too.”
“Rob perfectly fits into our strategy of signing unique, elite athletes,” added Monster’s vice president of sports marketing Mitch Covington. “We love what he does in the game, but we also love that he likes to party.”
The addition of Gronkowski to the Monster family arrives as the latest in a series of high profile endorsement deal signings for the company, which bet big on Triple Crown winner American Pharoah ahead of this year’s Belmont Stakes. Monster followed that with the signing of UFC star Ronda Rousey, which got off to a less than stellar start. Rousey had been the undefeated UFC Women’s Bantamweight champion, but less than two weeks after Monster announced its partnership deal with the mixed martial artist, she suffered her first loss.