Until now, Howard Bach's biggest claim to fame outside the world of badminton came from his role in a Vitaminwater TV commercial where he posed as a Chinese badminton player playing against American sports stars such as Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Mr. Bach was little more than an extra in that spot. But now he and several other little-known potential American Olympians are readying for their close-ups. Mr. Bach and a parade of athletes in other low-wattage sports like kayaking, fencing and water polo are to appear in a series of ads for Bank of America Corp. -- including posters in bank branches and online spots -- ahead of the Beijing Games in August.

Howard Bach (left) and Tony Gunawan (right)

And whom do these lesser-knowns have to thank? They could start with the stars of higher-profile U.S. sports such as baseball, football, basketball, cycling and track. Each of these sports has big-name players who have been tarred in recent months by a string of incidents involving drugs, steroids, guns, gambling and dog-fighting.

With so many major sports beset by scandal, backing athletes from small sports can be a safer bet. The perceived purity of smaller sports plays a big role in Bank of America's choices, says Joseph Goode, the bank's spokesman.

But the ability of lesser known athletes to relate to average people is also important. With all his endorsements, Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps may never need to consider a day job as he prepares for Beijing. That isn't true of most other Olympic athletes, many of whom work at regular jobs in between training.

As Dan Cloppas, executive director of USA Badminton, points out, his sport may lack star power but it will likely never see a steroid scandal. On the other hand, what the sport is unlikely to do is to catapult its players into fame and fortune.


Kayaker Brett Heyl, who hopes to be in Beijing next year, says money for food was a week-to-week proposition before the Athens Games when he had no major sponsorship. He's one of the athletes now signed by Bank of America and while he won't say how much he's being paid, he says the fee accounts for the largest chunk of his budget, and credits that deal with helping him to land a subsequent one with Nike Inc.

Likewise, Mr. Bach has to find money to pay for travel to seven countries in Europe and Asia between now and Christmas to qualify for Beijing, but must do so mostly on his own. USA Badminton had a total budget last year of about $400,000.

Bank of America hopes this everyman quality will connect with customers. "It just looks so much more real," says Ray Bednar, the bank's global sponsorship marketing executive.

Bank of America isn't the first marketer to hitch its wagon to athletes from low-profile sports. Home Depot Inc. has had a policy of hiring lesser-known Olympic hopefuls with full pay and benefits, while requiring them to work 20-hour work weeks with schedules that allow flexibility for training and competition. Visa Inc. has made it a point to sponsor athletes in new medal sports, including women's pole vault and women's bobsled. That trend continues in Beijing with the credit-card company backing BMX cyclist Bubba Harris.

A bonus for marketers backing new or lesser-known sports is that athletes like Mr. Bach or Mr. Heyl come cheaply. Bank of America says it pays them low five-figure sums. Six or seven such Olympians cost the same as one marquee name, estimates Paul Swangard, managing director of the University of Oregon's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. He calls Bank of America's approach "almost like a mutual-fund strategy," picking a larger group of lesser-known athletes, which can yield a few stories that capture U.S. fans' attention.

Aside from appearing in ads, athletes on Bank of America's payroll have other marketing duties for the company. These include a minimum of four full days meeting clients or participating in fantasy camps or programs for kids. Some of the athletes hope the higher profile generated by the Bank of America ads will help them educate the public about their sport. Water-polo player Tony Azevedo, for instance, complains that outside of California and Florida, people know little about his sport. "They still think horses are in the water."

As for Mr. Bach, his appearance in the Vitaminwater ad highlighted the gulf between professional sports and Olympic events like badminton. While it's huge in Asia, badminton is basically invisible stateside. And what is known about it isn't complimentary.

The commercial played into the stereotype of badminton as wimpy and easy to play. Mr. Bach played an ersatz Chinese badminton player named Yang who cowers in fear as Mr. Urlacher and Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz dominate the game simply by drinking the sport beverage. Mr. Ortiz smashes the birdie so hard, it sticks in Yang's partner's leg.

"I'm playing a sport most Americans think sissies would play when they're in the backyard cooking out, holding a beer in their left hand," says Mr. Bach. He views his new sponsorship as a chance to sell his sport with a straight face.

Copyright © 2007 The Wall Street Journal