Hype about Michael Phelps’ potential for endorsement riches has followed the swimmer ever since his return from the Beijing Games. But Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide CEO Kevin Roberts said a little failure, not success, is what Phelps needs to become a “lovemark,” his phrase for brands that attain heightened levels of love and respect.

“He’s almost there,” said Roberts. “He’s becoming a very strong brand. He just now needs to add some failure, some humanity and some common touch. He needs to be very careful what he’s sponsoring because he’s picked up a couple of things that might not be ‘lovemarky’ ideas. So I think he has to show, now, the human side of himself and not the perfectionist-winning side. You don’t love superheroes. You love them when there is a touch of failure around them.”