Are Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler the next Posh and Becks?

It is early days but marketing experts are already excited at the prospect of Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler becoming Australia’s equivalent to one of the biggest power couples of all time. Here’s why.

Australia are in love with the couple. Picture: MEDIA MODE

It is early days but marketing experts are already excited at the prospect of Nathan Cleary and Mary Fowler becoming Australia’s equivalent to Posh and Becks.

Together former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and her footballer husband David are worth $800 million. As Matilda’s star Mary Fowler was yesterday unveiled as the ambassador for a south Sydney kindergarten there was clearly a long way to go.

“They may have the potential to be a micro version of Posh and Becks but only if you squint,” said Gruen TV show marketing expert Toby Ralph.

“The glamour and outrageous wealth is more dialled down – they are more cheese sandwich than caviar.”

But there was no doubt that Panthers star Cleary’s arrival at Sydney Airport to meet Matilda favourite Fowler as she returned home from playing for Manchester City generated a huge amount of public and media interest.

Matilda star Mary Fowler was affectionately greeted by her NRL champion boyfriend, Nathan Cleary as she touched down in Australia on a flight from the UK. Must credit MEDIA MODE

And that enormous public interest and goodwill towards the young couple could make them a powerhouse Australian brand worth millions according to marketing guru Barry Urquhart.

“Together they have a collective value to potential sponsors because they appeal not only to the sports loving parents but as aspirational role models to their kids as well,” he said.

The trick for the couple to cash in would be to learn from Posh and Becks. “They understand that they are a product and market themselves as such. They understand that brand is separate from the people they are behind closed doors,” Mr Urquhart explained.

However that lesson was clearly not in evidence at the Rise and Shine Kindergarten at Beverley Park where Fowler, 21, fronted a hungry media pack just hours after her romantic reunion with Cleary, 26.

“The kindergarten scored the marketing goal of the year in securing Mary Fowler,” Mr Urquhart said.

When asked about Cleary meeting her at the airport a media flunky jumped in before Fowler could speak, apparently at the request of the young footballer’s management.

“Sorry sorry we can’t answer that question around personal life if that’s OK,” she said. “If we can just move to the next question that would be wonderful.”

But the only thing anyone really cared about was not Rise and Shine’s 10 year anniversary but how the couple were going after spending months apart.

“Being a humble footballer is great but understanding your brand and deciding to own it is the key to success,” Mr Urquhart said.

Mary Fowler at Rise & Shine Kindergarten. Picture: Richard Dobson

Owning that brand would lead to the big bucks rolling in long after they have both hung up their boots.

“Ten years after Boris Becker retired from tennis he was still earning more than $10 million a year from sponsorships and endorsements,” Mr Urquhart said.

“Nate and Mary together could be greater than the sum of the parts and paid ten times what they are earning now.”

Right now they are just a young couple in love with each other and their sport. Fowler told the Today Show that in a packed year of highlights it was not meeting Cleary but a moment from the World Cup that stood out.

“It’s hard to pick just one moment, but looking back, probably that penalty shootout against France was pretty epic,” she said.