It’s the pose of man taking success in stride. The man of the moment, with the world at his feet. Seen for the first time these exclusive pictures obtained by DailyMail.com show Travis Kelce taking part in a glossy editorial shoot last Monday. Twelve hours earlier his girlfriend Taylor Swift, 33, was cheering him on as the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and his team stormed to victory against the Los Angeles Chargers.
According to Kelce he’s ‘just riding the roller coaster’ as one half of America’s hottest new couple. But while Kelce seems endearingly unfazed by it all, the reality is that his romance with Swift, a newly minted billionaire, has put more than a spring in his step. It’s already put even more dollars in his pocket – millions and millions of them.
DailyMail.com obtained exclusive photos showing Travis Kelce laying on a couch in a sultry pose during a photoshoot last week. The reality is that his romance with Swift, a newly minted billionaire, has put more than a spring in his step and even more dollars in his pocket. Kelce was taking part in a glossy editorial shoot last Monday. Twelve hours earlier his girlfriend Taylor Swift was cheering him on as the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and his team stormed to victory against the Los Angeles Chargers
According to Kelce he’s ‘just riding the roller coaster’ as one half of America’s hottest new couples
The impact on Kelce’s brand has been dubbed the ‘Swift effect’ with his value increasing in the month since the relationship began
It’s not clear what brand the photoshoot was for, but the offers have been pouring in ever since Kelce started dating Taylor Swift
Festively dressed Kelce is seen walking to the team bus to head to Sunday’s Chiefs vs. Broncos game in Denver. ‘You can certainly imagine Kelce doing more on the fashion front because a lot has been written about what he’s wearing and he’s a stylish guy,’ Ishveen Jolly, CEO and founder of OpenSponsorship said
Because, as DailyMail.com has learned, that shoot and the interest and exposure it represents is just the tip of a very large, very lucrative iceberg. Associate Professor of Sports Management at George Washington University Lisa Delpy Neirotti explained, ‘This is an extraordinary case because you’ve got a few things going on. ‘If you look at X, formerly Twitter, it’s sports and entertainment that’s at the top of the chatter and when you combine these two powerhouse topics it has a magnifying effect.
‘Then you have the fact that with everything going on in the world sports and entertainment are kind of safe areas that people want to engage with. ‘And then you have Taylor and she’s just a phenomenon.’ Today it emerged that attorneys for Kelce have filed five new trademarks in a bid to protect the player’s sky-rocketing earning potential beyond the field. Travis Kelce, Alright Nah, Flight 87, Kelce’s Krunch and Kelce’s Instagram handle, Killatrav, have all been trademarked and will be used to offer pins, posters, bobbleheads, clothing and even a cereal.
For brand and marketing experts, when it comes to Kelce and Swift, it’s simple math: one plus one equals three. In what’s already been dubbed the ‘Swift effect’ the impact on Kelce’s brand is so palpable it’s possible to put a date on when it hit; September 24, 2023. That’s the day Swift showed up to her first game at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City. Emma Telesca, Senior Publicist at Anderson Group Publicity broke it down for DailyMail.com. ‘Just from her showing up at one game sales of his jersey spiked 400 percent,’ she said.
His podcast with his brother Jason went up to number one on Apple, he got 400K new Instagram followers that day. There were three times more Google searches for the Chiefs on the web, a three times increase on Chiefs tickets sold on StubHub and that meant they sold more tickets in one day than they had since the start of the season.’ What’s more, Delpy Neirotti revealed to DailyMail.com, the fee that Kelce, 34, could command for partnering with a brand literally doubled overnight.
She said, ‘I know one brand was working on a deal with Travis before Taylor showed up at the game and the deal went south because his value increased overnight. After that appearance what they were asking doubled and the brand wasn’t ready to pay that.’ She added, ‘Right now the people who are making the best value out of this are the ones who got in with Travis early.’ Kelce was already an NFL star and two-times Super Bowl winner before Swift came along.
In 2020 the tight end signed a $57.25million four-year contract with the Chiefs complete with a $10million signing bonus and $20.75million guaranteed. His average annual salary is $14,312,000. This year he will take home $11.25mllion. Next year that rises to $12million. On top of that he makes roughly $5million in sponsorship deals already signed.
To date he has deals with brands including State Farm, Nike and Bud Light. He has also partnered with Pfizer and recently did an ad promoting their two-in-one flu shot and Covid booster. Experian also launched a campaign with Kelce to promote its new digital checking account. Kelce is a self-confessed sneaker addict with more than 300 pairs, some costing tens of thousands of dollars, and a penchant for designer labels including Italian tailoring house Frere whose off-the-rack suits start at $5,000.
He also already owns his own fashion line Tru Kolors, affordable sports and casual wear. Luxury car manufacturers could also be a good fit for the auto fanatic who, aside from a trusty GMC Terrain, owns an Aston Martin Vanquish AMG G 63, custom Land Rover, Rolls-Royce Phantom and the 1970 Chevrolet Chevell SS convertible in which he whisked Swift away from her first Chiefs game. But Bob Dorfman, CEO of Pinnacle Advertising pointed to a less obvious revenue stream, away from the luxury brands and sponsorship deals.
He said, ‘She’s America’s sweetheart with her football player boyfriend. That’s a story everybody can get behind. This is just a symbiotic relationship. Obviously, she’s benefiting a bit from his fanbase and he’s benefiting from hers. ‘For athletes of course the first thing is performance on the field, but he’s happened to do very well since they’ve been dating. It’s almost like she’s a good luck charm but as an advisor you’d want him to be careful about stuff like that when he’s looking at all the other distractions.
‘For a lot of these guys right now the most lucrative thing for them is equity partnership. So, a little less about getting a million dollars to do a Direct TV or Bud-Light commercial, it’s about investing and getting equity partnerships with companies so you’re more behind the scenes and with smart investments you’re making more money. ‘He’s already invested in some brands – a performance gummy Hilo, Cholula Hot Sauce and FI racing team Alpine and he’ll definitely be getting more approaches and offers on that front. ‘With smart investments it’s an easier way to make money and build your brand.’
Dorfman pointed out, ‘I guess you’d say he’s towards the back-end of his career. He’s 34. So, he might be looking at branching out, something like acting.’ Kelce signed with Hollywood powerhouse Creative Artists’ Agency (CAA) in May and has voiced interest in pursuing opportunities in that field. Dorman noted, ‘He was great as a guest host on SNL and he’s just a real likeable guy. He definitely has acting potential maybe in the same kind of category as The Rock. ‘He’s big, strong, heroic and he’s also funny and self-effacing. He can deliver a line well on camera.’
Those qualities were on display back in 2021, when Kelce starred alongside Paul Rudd in a commercial for Ghostbusters: Afterlife. RW2 Executive Producer Nathan Kincaid who oversaw the shoot told DailyMail.com, ‘We all commented that he was a natural and it wouldn’t be long before people caught on. That was one of his first spots. ‘Travis has contagious energy and none of us are surprised to see his life and career unfold so positively. ‘Everyone in Kansas City is happy for him and rooting for him.’
And while money can’t buy you love, where Kelce and Swift are concerned, love can certainly make you richer than your wildest dreams.
