Editing Ian Thorpe (section)

===Sponsorship===
[[File:Ian Thorpe on a plane.jpg|thumb|300px|Thorpe (left) with fans in 2000.|alt=A young man is at left wearing a tight grey T-shirt with white sleeves, with "French Connection" across his chest. He has short hair and is wearing elliptical glasses. In the centre is a boy with very short black hair in a green T-shirt, and to the right is a young girl with pigtails wearing a blue coat. They are posing on an aeroplane.]]

Thorpe is known for his interests in fashion, and serves as an ambassador for [[Armani]],<ref name="dyk"/><ref name=s113/> and has his own line of designer jewellery and underwear.<ref name=s113/> During his career, Thorpe was one of the most prominent and popular sportspeople in Australia. Despite competing in a sport in which the vast majority of international athletes' earnings are below the poverty line,<ref name="spons"/> marketing surveys consistently ranked Thorpe as the most sought-after Australian athlete for sponsorship deals, surpassing footballers who compete on a weekly basis in much larger stadia.<ref name="spons">Hunter, pp. vii–viii.</ref> Aside from his swimsuit sponsor [[Adidas]], Thorpe was sponsored by Australian corporate giants such as [[Qantas]], [[Telstra]], and the [[Seven Network]].<ref name="magnetic">{{cite news|first = Chloe|last = Saltau|title = The magnetic Mr Thorpe|url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/07/27/1059244481899.html|work = The Age|location = Australia|date = 28 July 2003|access-date = 16 November 2006|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071012055343/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/07/27/1059244481899.html|archive-date = 12 October 2007|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>Hunter, pp. 90, 140, 168.</ref>

Thorpe's interests in fashion and culture led him to make frequent visits to New York City—which he describes as a second home—often for engagements with Armani and particularly because of the city's status as a global fashion capital.<ref name=dyk/><ref name=s113>Swanton, p. 113.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.languagemonitor.com/category/fashion/fashion-capitals/ |title=New York retakes Top Global Fashion Capital Title from London, edging past Paris |publisher=Languagemonitor.com |access-date=26 May 2014 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140423211506/http://www.languagemonitor.com/category/fashion/fashion-capitals/ |archive-date=23 April 2014 }}</ref> He was present at the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] on the morning of 11 September 2001, having stopped there on his jog, before returning to his hotel after forgetting his camera.<ref name="dyk"/><ref>Swanton, pp. 114–115.</ref> It was during this trip that he appeared on ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'', which was notable because of the relative lack of interest in competitive swimming in America.<ref name=s113/><ref>Hunter, pp. 280–281.</ref> Thorpe later became a spokesperson for the unsuccessful [[New York City 2012 Olympic bid|New York bid]] for the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], even promising to continue his career until the games if New York won the hosting rights.<ref>{{cite news |first = Jacquelin |last = Magnay |author-link = Jacquelin Magnay |title = Ian Thorpe 'to rescue NY Olympic dream' |url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/ian-thorpe-to-rescue-ny-olympic-dream/2005/07/04/1120329384268.html |work = The Age |location = Australia |date = 5 July 2005 |access-date = 10 November 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070112205748/http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/ian-thorpe-to-rescue-ny-olympic-dream/2005/07/04/1120329384268.html |archive-date = 12 January 2007 |url-status = live }}</ref> Thorpe's interests have also seen him involved in television. In 2002, he played the lead role in the reality television show ''[[Undercover Angels]]'', which imitated the ''[[Charlie's Angels]]'' series. In the program, Thorpe directed three young women who performed good deeds for people in need.<ref name=s113/> Although it averaged more than a million viewers per episode, it was widely panned by critics.<ref name="magnetic"/><ref name=s113/><ref>Hunter, pp. 294–295.</ref> Thorpe has also appeared as an extra in the American sitcom ''[[Friends]]''.<ref name="dyk"/><ref name=s113/><ref>Hunter, p. 244.</ref>

Thorpe is widely popular in Asia, particularly Japan. In 2000, [[TV Asahi]] identified him as the swimmer likely to be the most successful at the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, so they selected him as the event's marketing figurehead. In the lead-up, Thorpe visited Japan to promote Asahi in a series of television events,<ref name="gsiprofile"/><ref>Hunter, pp. 236, 249, 257–260.</ref> and upon returning for the competition, he was mobbed at the airport by youthful crowds 25&nbsp;m deep; hundreds camped outside the Australian team's hotel.<ref name=hj/><ref>Swanton, pp. 117, 120.</ref> He was also praised by older sections of Japanese society as a role model for youth, due to what they interpreted as his humility and work ethic.<ref name="magnetic"/><ref name=hj>Hunter, pp. 264–265, 275–276.</ref> It was estimated that more than 80% of the Japanese public watched his races on television.<ref>Swanton, p. 120.</ref> In 2002, in the wake of a tourism slump after 11 September terrorist attacks, Thorpe agreed to be an ambassador for the [[Australian Tourism Commission]] in Japan. The high-profile campaign included a meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister [[Junichiro Koizumi]]. The marketing drive resulted in an upturn in Japanese tourism to Australia, which was credited to Thorpe.<ref>Hunter, pp. 292–293.</ref><ref name=sea>{{cite news |first = Paul |last = McIntyre |title = Seafood campaign tests Thorpe's pulling power |url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/07/1089000223836.html?from=storylhs |work =[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date = 8 July 2004 |access-date = 16 November 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060828000400/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/07/1089000223836.html?from=storylhs |archive-date = 28 August 2006 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last= Hockey | first= Joe| author-link= Joe Hockey |title=Ian Thorpe&nbsp;– Australia's First Holiday Ambassador in Japan |url = http://minister.industry.gov.au/index.cfm?event=object.showContent&objectID=EDC62CAE-FB97-40EE-B7B30CFAA2CC7A91 |publisher=[[Government of Australia]] |date = 25 February 2002 |access-date =22 November 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070914183239/http://www.minister.industry.gov.au/index.cfm?event=object.showContent&objectID=EDC62CAE-FB97-40EE-B7B30CFAA2CC7A91 |archive-date = 14 September 2007}}</ref><ref>Swanton, p. 142.</ref> In 2005, [[Yakult]] released a 'Thorpedo' energy drink—which featured a picture of the swimmer on the bottle—in Japan.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yakult to sell Ian Thorpe sports drink |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2005/12/16/business/yakult-to-sell-thorpes-sports-drink/#.UiTG6n8o_s0 |work=[[Japan Today]] |date=16 December 2005 |access-date=22 March 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518095813/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2005/12/16/business/yakult-to-sell-thorpes-sports-drink/#.UiTG6n8o_s0 |archive-date=18 May 2015 |url-status=live  }}</ref> This was part of an equity deal with the [[So Natural (brand)|So Natural]] food group, in which Thorpe was given a 5% stake in the company—at the time worth A$1.1&nbsp;m—in return for the use of his name and image on their products. The 15-year deal covers East and Southeast Asia and Thorpe's share in the venture could increase to 50% depending on its success.<ref name=sea/><ref>Hunter, pp. 350–351.</ref>