Flau'jae Johnson, Deja Kelly Join Star-Studded Bazooka Investment
College basketball stars Flau'jae Johnson of LSU and Deja Kelly - formerly of North Carolina and currently in the transfer portal - have invested into Bazooka Candy Brands, joining nearly 60 other athletes across the NBA, NFL and MLB.
Through private investment platform for athletes, Patricof Co, Johnson and Kelly teamed up with the likes of DK Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks - who will be one of the faces of Bazooka Candy Brands - in addition to former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce and wife, Kylie, Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, Derrick White of the Boston Celtics and former New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia, among others.
"Bazooka Candy Brands' emphasis on entertainment is perfect for athletes like me that pride ourselves on having diverse talents both on and off-court," Kelly said in a statement. "As an athlete, creator, and investor, I could not be more excited to collaborate with such an iconic brand and help find ways to contribute to the overall growth of the company."
Each athlete announced their investment with an Instagram post featuring an illustrated trading card of their likeness. Bazooka Candy Brands is a division of The Bazooka Companies, LLC. and produces such iconic candy as Ring Pop, Push Pop and Bazooka bubble gum.
The investment from Patricof Co and the diverse roster of athletes will help Bazooka's growth as an independent company for the first time after being acquired in 2023 by Funds advised by Apax Partners LLP.
Johnson and Kelly are two of the most prolific college basketball players on the court and in NIL so with this investment, they will continue to diversify their brand portfolios. The LSU star Johnson - who has an additional career as a successful hip-hop artist - counts Puma, Powerade, JBL Audio, Apple Cash, Amazon and META among her NIL brand partners. Kelly, the former Tar Heel - who has yet to announce her highly anticipated transfer - has collaborated with the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, State Farm, Crocs and Beats by Dre, among others.
MICHAEL EHRLICH
Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com