Against All Odds: Legacy Of A Football King
Chapter 64: First Endorsement Offers 2

Chapter 64: First Endorsement Offers 2

Ashley slid a few neatly folded pages from her planner and placed them on the table between them. "Here are the draft contract details for each deal," she said, her voice calm but professional. "I’ll walk you through them."

Benjamin leaned forward slightly, and his gaze dropped to the first page labeled Hummel: Draft Agreement.

{Hummel Contract Details:

Term: [1 year, with an option for renewal based on mutual agreement]

Compensation: [€15,000 for the year, paid in quarterly installments]

Obligations:

[Attend two promotional events at Hummel flagship stores in the Netherlands within the year]

[Participate in three photoshoots wearing Hummel apparel]

[Feature in at least one social media campaign](posts shared on Benjamin’s personal accounts)

Performance Bonuses:

[Additional €5,000 if Benjamin features in at least 10 first-team matches during the contract term] —}

***

Benjamin raised an eyebrow. "Fifteen thousand Euros? That’s... not bad at all."

Ashley nodded in agreement. "It’s a solid deal for someone just starting out. Hummel’s betting on your potential. If things go well, that bonus and possible renewal could lead to bigger deals."

She flipped to the next set of pages and tapped the header: FrieslandCampina: Draft Agreement.

{FrieslandCampina Contract Details:

Term: [6 months, with an evaluation for possible extension]

Compensation: [€10,000 for the campaign, paid in two equal installments]

Obligations:

[Serve as a youth ambassador for their "Strong Bones, Strong Future" initiative]

[Appear in one TV commercial and one print advertisement within the contract term]

[Attend a single community event at a local school to promote healthy living]

Additional Perks:

[Free FrieslandCampina products for personal use throughout the contract duration] —}

***

"Healthy living ambassador?" Benjamin asked with a smirk on his face. "Do I look like the face of a milk campaign?"

"Hahaha~" Ashley laughed while shaking her head. "You do now. It’s a great chance to show versatility, Benjamin. FrieslandCampina campaigns are high visibility—they’re trusted in every household here. Plus, the six-month term means it’s low commitment. You can handle it."

Benjamin looked between the two contracts, the numbers, and obligations swirling in his mind. "So, I’m promoting football gear and milk. What a combo."

"It’s a start, Benjamin." Ashley said with a shrug. "Both brands are respected, and neither deal locks you in too long. After setting the terms, you can path ways if you’re not interested anymore. And by the way, you’ll still have plenty of time to focus on football."

Benjamin tapped his fingers against the table, and small smile tugged at his lips. "Okay. Let’s do both."

Ashley’s smile widened, and she reached for her planner. "Good choice. I’ll finalize the details with both parties and let you know when it’s time to sign."

Benjamin picked up his glass and raised it toward her. "To a promising start, then?"

Ashley chuckled, clinking her wine glass against his. "To a promising start."

"...umm..before I forget. Do you have a social media account?" Ashley asked as she dropped her wine glass.

Benjamin blinked at Ashley’s unexpected question, his glass hovering mid-air before he set it back down. "A social media account? Uh... no, I don’t have any for now."

Ashley froze on the spot while staring at him as if he’d just confessed to a serious crime. "Wait, what? You really don’t have any social media account?"

Benjamin shrugged his shoulders, and his expression remained nonchalant. "I never got around to it. And also, it doesn’t seem like my thing."

Ashley leaned back on the chair, her face a mix of disbelief and amusement. "Benjamin, you’re almost eighteen years old. You’re a footballer. And you’re telling me you don’t have any social media account? Not even Instagram?"

He shook his head while biting back a grin. "Nope."

"_"

"Twitter?" she pressed on with her voice rising in mock horror.

"No."

"_"

"Facebook?"

Benjamin smirked, shaking his head again.

"_"

"Hahaha... MySpace?" she asked, unable to contain her laughter now.

"Come on," he said, rolling his eyes but laughing with her. "I’m not that old."

"Hahaha!"

Ashley doubled over, clutching her stomach as she laughed hard. "Oh my God, Benjamin, what have you been doing? Writing letters? or Carrier pigeons?"

Benjamin chuckled while leaning back in his chair. "I use WhatsApp, mostly. And phone calls. You know, like a normal person would do."

"A normal person?" Ashley repeated, wiping a tear from her eye. "Normal people have at least one social media account, Benjamin... especially athletes. What do you do when people ask for your Instagram?"

"I tell them I don’t have one. Simple."

Ashley stared at him, her expression a mix of pity and teasing disbelief. "Benjamin, this is tragic. I’m setting up an Instagram for you immediately. How have you been surviving without one? What do you use to stalk your teammates or exes?"

"Humph!" He snorted. "I don’t stalk anyone, thank you very much. And if I need to know something, I ask."

Ashley shook her head in disbelief, still laughing. "You’re unbelievable. No wonder you didn’t even flinch at the social media campaign part of the Hummel deal. I’m starting to think you don’t know what it even is."

"I know what it is," Benjamin quickly defended himself, though his tone was light. "I’m just not interested."

"Well, you’re going to have to get interested," Ashley said, her voice turning serious but still playful. "These endorsements are about more than just wearing a jersey or smiling in a commercial. You’re building a brand, Benjamin. And a big part of that is connecting with fans. Social media is how you do that."

Benjamin sighed, his smile fading slightly. "I guess you’re right."

"I know I’m right," she said while smirking. "And don’t worry, I’ll handle it. We’ll set up a simple account, just enough to keep you active and grow your fan base. I’ll even teach you how to post."

He groaned, shaking his head. "Great. Now I’m doing Homework."

Ashley grinned. "Trust me, you’ll thank me later. But first, we’re taking a picture for your debut post. Consider it part of your training."

Benjamin chuckled, leaning back in defeat. "Fine. But no cheesy captions."

"No promises," she teased, pulling her phone out. "Now smile, Mr. Social Media Rookie. You’re about to go viral."