The Nike ad - Come on Rooney! Oh.
Let’s be clear about this: the 2010 World Cup has been one of the least exciting football tournaments in living memory. When the tournament kicked off on June 11th, we all settled down in our living rooms in eager anticipation of a glut of great goals, fierce comebacks, skill, ingenuity and flair. What did we get instead? A ball that nobody seemed able to kick straight, dull, negative tactics, and a rough average of a goal every 4.233 games (small exaggeration). So who is to blame?
Although some have, variously, pointed the finger of blame squarely at defensive-minded coaches, the Adidas Jabulani ball, and even domestic leagues for burning out the players, the current media scapegoat of choice appears to be Nike for ruining some of the world’s best footballers by paying them heavily to take part in the now famously ‘cursed’ Write The Future advert. However, perhaps we should leave aside the possibility that Wayne Rooney, Franck Ribery, Fabio Cannavaro and Ronaldo have all suffered from a mysterious drop in form as a direct result of an ancient gypsy curse and examine the wider effects of the Nike ad and its contemporaries?
It’s true to say that there has never been a World Cup which has suffered from the same levels of saturation, both in terms of broadcast coverage and publicity. It seems you cannot switch on your television, radio or computer at the moment without being reminded that yes, the World Cup is here, and it will be an astonishing festival of drama and skill, showcasing the talents of the finest players in the world. Advertisements selling The Guardian, Mars, Carlsberg, and, of course, Coca-Cola – among a host of others – have promised a global spectacle, a phenomenon which will excite and unite the entire world in equal measure. Is it any wonder that the tournament itself has failed to live up to these unrealistic expectations, as the teams turned their focus on the business of winning football matches?
Indeed, it’s interesting to note that despite the best efforts of the official sponsors and advertisers to milk the last drops of the World Cup cash cow, perhaps the most memorable, and successful incident in terms of gaining brand recognition, was the now infamous Bavarian beer ambush marketing incident. The incident was largely memorable because it was so ridiculous, and because it succeeded so admirably in calling into question the lengths that FIFA will go to in order to ensure that its corporate sponsors are protected. Perhaps the greatest irony is that had FIFA not been so heavy-handed, then it’s almost certain that Bavarian beer would be far less popular than it currently is.
The key to publicising this tournament seems to be that saturation is fine – as long as it’s for the officially designated, FIFA approved brands. Will marketers learn the lessons of this summer’s tournament and avoid the scatter-gun over-saturation we’ve seen this summer in time for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil? It seems unlikely. For now, at least, as the 2010 World Cup reaches its climax this Sunday, let’s hope we can finally let the football do the talking.
