Ingomarred

In his short, happy life as heavyweight champ, Ingemar Johansson (see SPORT) found U.S. advertisers beating a path to his throne with blank checks and myriad products for him to endorse--everything from Pioneer key rings to Man-Tan and Lord West tuxedos. Only a few went away disappointed. Among them: a vacuum cleaner manufacturer who wanted the champ to lie down on a rug in the ad, and a group of prosperous salami makers who wanted Ingo to pose beside a pile of salami (Ingo agreed to do it, but not for hay: he asked $5,000).

Thus, many an advertiser took it on the chin in last week's fight. Schick razors, which had hired Ingo for a $2,000,000 campaign introducing their new "golden Swedish steel" razor blades, had to yank him from a whole series of ads, and use other athletes who may not be so Swedish as Schick's golden blades, but are still out front.

Only a week before the fight Ingo passed the white-glove test for Vitalis. Jayson shirts is perhaps the advertiser caught with its chin farthest out: market-bound beyond recall, complete with ads and collar labels, is an "Ingemar Johansson Shirt," due to go on sale in stores Aug. 25. Quipped General Sales Manager Paul Groetzinger: "I wore a black armband when I went to the office last Tues day." But, in the best tradition, he is counting heavily on a rematch: "I still think he's a hell of an asset."

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