• by Karl Greenberg , September 9, 2011

Now that the NFL is back on the gridiron, who are the players with the most endorsement firepower? Drew Brees and Peyton Manning are, according to new data from Omnicom Group's promotional agency, Dallas-based The Marketing Arm. The firm's Celebrity DBI ranks some 2,000 celebrities, including 50 NFL players based on consumer perceptions. The survey-based study culls responses from a portion of a 4.5-million domestic consumer research panel.

The study is based on respondent evaluations of celebrities by appeal, aspiration, awareness, endorsement, influence, breakthrough, trendsetter, and trust. The overall score includes overall awareness. From the national sample, 1,000 respondents are shown the name and face of a celebrity and asked if they are aware of him or her. If "yes," they are presented with a set of questions about that celebrity, using a 6-point scale to record their responses.

Brees and Manning took the top two spots in the DBI's Aspiration, Endorsement, Influence, Trendsetter, Trust, and Breakthrough attributes. The firm says consumers also rated Brees the most appealing NFL player. Manning got the nod for being the most recognizable.

The study says that in aspiration, Brees scores on par with celebrities like Sean Connery, Steven Spielberg, Hank Aaron, and Kurt Russell. "While Brady doesn't rank among the league's most likeable players, he's one fans aspire to be like," says the report. Peyton Manning's endorsement score is, per the study, in the same neighborhood as George Clooney, Beyonce, and Carrie Underwood. He ranks at #60 of more than 2,800 celebs in the DBI database in this attribute.

Number two in appeal is Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers. Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu, Manning, and Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald rounded out the top 5 in likability. Polamalu and Rodgers also rank in the top 5 in Aspiration, Endorsement, Influence, Trendsetter, Trust, and Breakthrough.

In addition to Polamalu, two other defensive players rank in the top 10 in the DBI's appeal attribute: Linebackers Brian Urlacher (Bears) and Clay Matthews (Packers) rank sixth and eighth, respectively.

Philadelphia QB Michael Vick was the second highest in awareness after Peyton Manning. The two are the only active NFL players recognized by greater than 80% of US consumers per the study. "That's a credit to Manning's string of nine consecutive playoff appearances and bevy of commercial endorsements," says the report. "In Vick's case, his awareness numbers received a boost from his impressive play last season, off-season contract, and earlier front-page negative publicity related to dog-fighting and subsequent jail time."

The study says that even though he is one of the league's most exciting players, Vick is still off limits for most brands -- "fans recognize that he's matured and working hard to rehabilitate his image."

Eight of the 10 most-recognized players are QBs, and eight of the top 10 players have played in a Super Bowl, excluding Vick and Tony Romo. "As the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, Romo seems like a natural fit for many brands," says the study.

New England's Tom Brady, the Giants QB Eli Manning, and Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger are also among the top 5 in terms of awareness. Eli Manning is in the top ten in Appeal (#9), Aspiration (#5), Endorsement (#6), Influence (#6), Trendsetter (#5), Trust (#6), and Breakthrough (#8).

Consumers consider NY Jets QB Mark Sanchez as one of the league's top 10 Trendsetters and rate Dallas QB Tony Romo among the top 10 in Endorsement.