The Detroit Lions have quite a few marketable players on their team. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has been involved in a number of marketing campaigns since being drafted by the Lions, most notably a series of commercials for AXE Hair. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has also been involved in marketing campaigns, including one for Dick's Sporting Goods and one for Subway.
Although wide receiver Calvin Johnson is a big name and a former second overall pick, he hasn't been known for doing a ton of marketing-type stuff. Sure, he's had endorsements, and he's even been in a Nike commercial, but I can't remember him doing anything like this before:
Acura, by the way, is Honda's luxury vehicle division. Is it worth noting that this is a non-Ford car that he is helping advertise? I suppose, but I don't think it's a very big deal. While William Clay Ford does own the team, it's not like he is required to use Lions players to advertise Ford, nor are Lions players required to do only Ford ads. I say this only to prevent the inevitable conspiracy theories that some will undoubtedly present about why Johnson is in an Acura commercial.
(Via the Detroit Free Press)