re: Naive Sponsors

By alan ainsworth (legacy user)9/7/2014 13:32Wed Jul 9 13:32:28 2014In response to Re: Naive Sponsors.

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I used to work for a couple of advertising agencies in the 1980s... before my moral fibre implant operation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDW_Hj2K0wo

"Shocked and appalled" is the traditional phrase used in outraged letters by "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells" in spoofs of the stereotype.
I fully understand the rationale. Were I in charge of a company of any sort, I wouldn't let it within a million miles of anything to do with association football.
The naivete of the prospective sponsor was in remotely considering any variety of senior association football as a vehicle for promoting a respectable company... as opposed to promoting a loan shark or repo company, a bookie or on-line casino, a purveyor of narcotics, a Gang-Bang Holidays franchise, a foreign semi-state firm from a nation high on Amnesty International's hit-list or - heaven forefend! - a bank.
I'd imagine 98% of the adult population would associate football with atrocious behaviour and foul language. That someone would get so far as to check-out the proposed theatre of propaganda could be said to demonstrate commendable professionalism. However, that anyone who didn't want their brand connected to laddish or loutish behaviour would have ever remotely considered football sponsorship as a vehicle defies belief.
I'm constantly perplexed as to why RockStar Games - makers of Grand Theft Auto - doesn't sponsor a football team.
Paddy Power adores association with loucheness - and loutishness - as do most lager producers.
Respectable companies, as you point out, almost always wish to protect their brand names from association with the mentality found in football. That's why almost none of them sponsor clubs.
"Bockmist" - literally "billygoat s**t" - is the word used in some parts of Germany in instances where we'd use "bulls**t"... or "Bother!" if we're watching Hendon. It just came to mind while watching Brazil's performance last night.

I am tempted to post a proper reply to this thread, but I'm not sure I have three hours to spare!