October 24 – One of the hottest players in the world, and most certainly the Premier League, is Chelsea’s England international Cole Palmer. Since making the bold move from Manchester City last season, Palmer has scaled new heights in West London and is making himself known throughout the sports world, most notably in the USA.
During the NFL’s most recent promotion for the Minnesota Vikings-New York Jets game in London later this month, Justin Jefferson, a star wide receiver for the Vikings known for his ‘griddy’ touchdown dance, held up a ‘Palmer 20’ Chelsea shirt and mimicked the England forward’s ‘cold’ goal celebration.
That post on Instagram generated over 270,000 likes.
It isn’t only the NFL where Palmer has fans as demonstrated by the NBA’s superstar, point guard, Trae Young who plays for the Atlanta Hawks.
Young who has the same crossed arms celebration as Palmer talked about sharing the iconic move with the Chelsea star. “I hear he (Palmer) is a pretty good player,” Young told Podcast P. “I just did it. I kind of ran with it.”
Long-time football mover and shaker, Misha Sher, told The Athletic: “Visual identity is very important. If you are Cole Palmer and you have a celebration, and you are scoring all the time, those moments are frequent, so he can reinforce that unique visual identity all the time.
Sher, adds, “And because of how easily these things get picked up and shared, you are seeing NFL players and even kids in the playground copying the celebration. It’s quite simple, but it’s very powerful in the world of building a brand. Cole has elevated himself in the world of football with his performances, and he clearly has a personality.
“But it’s too early to make any judgements or predictions about him becoming a brand. That requires someone, over an extended period, to have appeal outside of just the sport they play.”
On the social media platform TikTok, Palmer has more than two million followers, while a video of him advertising Toshiba had more than four million views.
This kind of exposure can lead to mega deals, and Sher who currently represents Vinicius Jr knows the value of football’s most marketable stars. “Seven-figure deals are a small category, and they tend to be reserved for athletes who have longevity and appeal across multiple markets,” says Sher. “To command those deals, you need to have relevance outside of your home market, unless you’re American because the advertising market is so big, and the budget is so big (in America).”
If Palmer can maintain his current form, there is no doubt that his understated, yet beguiling personality has the potential to match the likes of his England teammate, Jude Bellingham.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1729765083labto1729765083ofdlr1729765083owedi1729765083sni@o1729765083fni1729765083