When David Beckham visited the Amazon in 2016
he said it was one of the only places in the world he hadn't been recognized.
And that's pretty unusual for someone who gets this type of reception almost everywhere he goes.
To play soccer, like David Beckham
This is the story of how David Beckham became one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
Even though he retired from soccer five years ago, David Beckham's image is still as powerful as ever.
The Beckhams have an estimated net worth of $450 million,
but more than that they have an influence most brands dream of.
I don't think we could understate how many times we've seen David Beckham's image and
how much, by sheer repetition, it's been printed on our minds.
Robert Williams is Bloomberg's luxury and retail reporter based in Paris.
From airport billboards to TV commercials to glossy magazine ads,
it's just an effect of recognisability that's been built up over the years.
People assume that I've got so many brands, but I actually haven't.
We've got quite a few.
Those few make up a wide base of products and partnerships
including whisky, watches, charities and more.
The other thing to say about Brand Beckham is that it is very much a phenomenon of its time.
Andy Milligan is a brand consultant who wrote the book on Brand Beckham.
Celebrities can become brands in a very potent way, sometimes in a more meaningful and relevant way
than traditional products because at the heart of a personality brand
there is a human story which is constantly fascinating and evolving.
And Beckham isn't just selling himself, his whole family is part of the story.
Victoria Beckham has created a critically acclaimed luxury fashion label.
In 2017 she received a $40 million investment from a former Goldman Sachs banker,
valuing the business at around $130 million.
Victoria set the pace for this couple and really positioning herself as an entrepreneur
and not just as a model or someone who does endorsements.
The Beckham children are part of the brand too.
As well as modelling contracts and book deals, each child's name is trademarked
which means only the Beckham's can use their names on products.
All of this is a contrast to David Beckham's own modest childhood growing up in east London.
Though never compared to the likes of Pelé or Maradona,
it was Beckham’s drive which made him stand out early on.
He went and got for himself one of the most prestigious sports marketing companies,
whose clients in those days included people like Alan Shearer and Michael Owen, very high profile footballers.
He got them at an early stage in his life and I think that was the first sign of intent.
And like all good success stories, timing was key.
Beckham made his league debut for Manchester United when he was 19.
Just a few years earlier the establishment of the English Premier League had created
a significant increase in viewership both at home and abroad.
He just happened to be the right man at the right time.
If he'd been in football even 10 years earlier, I'm sure he would have been successful but
he wouldn't have had nowhere near the opportunities to make such an impact as he did during the '90s.
Beckham quickly realized he could create value with his image.
In 2002 when asked why contract negotiations were taking so long, he put it down to one
thing - image rights - payments made by the club for the right to use anything related
to the Beckham brand - his name, face, even the way he kicked a ball.
While he wasn't the first footballer to receive such payments, the earnings were significant
and alongside his endorsements made him the world’s highest paid soccer player.
Photographer: David just to your left.
This was all part of what Andy calls the "earn till you burn" model.
Trying to bank as much money as possible before retirement.
His first deal with hairstyling brand Brylcreem was worth £1 million
and created a 50% surge in sales.
Photographer: Sit up straight, David.
[Laughs]
This was followed by deals with more global brands like Pepsi, Adidas and Gillette.
Unlike other footballers he also extended his image beyond the pitch too - including
a £20 million deal with Armani in 2007 which attracted a great deal of attention.
It is a rare man who can be that tough on the field and also have his own line of underwear.
[Laughs]
He took a big risk early in his career by showing his interest in fashion, his willingness
to be a bit daring with his look at a time
when that wasn't necessarily attached to masculine role models.
It's not something that athletes were willing to risk their image on before.
It’s come down to three consistent things through which the Beckham brand is delivered.
It's football, it's fashion, and I'd call it, it's feel good
but he takes risks inside those.
The risks seems to have paid off.
A couple of years after his retirement, Beckham earned £45 million.
That was more than 13 times as much as he was paid in his last year as a footballer and
more than any former athlete in the world apart from Michael Jordan.
But football is still the focus.
It’s been confirmed that David Beckham is to start a soccer franchise in Miami.
During his move to LA Galaxy in 2007 his contract included the option for him to buy a
Major League Soccer team for $25 million at the end of his career.
A smart deal sweetener now that expansion teams cost six times that.
Today you made my dream come true.
And all of this secures Beckham's brand exposure in soccer and the US for the foreseeable future.
There's a legacy being built there that will survive David Beckham, and actually that is
the ultimate testament to the way he's thinking, and indeed, to the way that really good brands
and brand owners think.
Proof perhaps that this is a brand that relies on more than just a pretty face.