I thought it was time to do an update on the popular topic of naked and near naked men and (increasingly) footballers in advertising!
Why? Well for one reason the topic is still one of the most visited and read, which is quite a shock when you consider all the other riveting articles and thoughts about marketing on this blog...
The most read article on my blog online (rather than read by people who get email alerts with the articles in) by far is the one titled: Is it just me, or are there more naked men in ads these days?
This probably tells us a few things like:
(1) The terms “men” and “naked” are popular search terms online (and I think sex related terms are the top search topics overall consistently). Sex interests people, and so that gets traffic to the site. A tip for any aspiring digital person?
(2) A lot of people are interested in naked men and like looking at them and so that probably explains while more naked and shirtless men appear in adverts, as they have stopping power.
(3) Men are now very much fair game to be treated as sex objects to sell things
(4) Footballers are happy to embrace the trend by stripping off (excuse the pun) and using their talent and talents to see underwear. It seems to be a growing trend that is increasingly bringing together the world of football heroes and designer underwear. In fact, almost complulsory?
In fact it is becoming so common, it almost looks like it is part of the career path of a successful footballer!
First Fredrik Ljungberg for Calvin Klein, then David Beckham with Armani, and then Ronaldo (who we often see in the tabloid press in small shorts and swim trunks) replaced David in 2010 as Beckham expands into his own briefs... By which I mean he is launching his own line. And as a side event to the 2010 Soccer World Cup, D & G launched a range of underwear using members of the Italian Football team The range is called CALCIO, which someone told me is Italian for football - and so looks like the perfect marriage.
This meant the dear footballers stripped off and made and ad, along witha bunch of "making of" videos that have been posted on YouTube by D&G and have been circulated virally extensively. You can watch the video towards the end of the blog posting.
Sports men and briefs seem to be good partners as even Bjorn Borg (the multiple Wimbledon winner) his own line.
But who are they targeting?
I wonder if the main target are men wanting some of the sport champion winning power to wear off on them. Or for women to buy them hoping the more athletic and virile sport star will project onto their man. I wrote a blog about that in relation to that topic based on the Ronaldo/ Armani
Either way it is an interesting trend. Is success on the football field going to be measured by how fast you can get an underwear contract?
Who cares some may say, as:
(1) They certainly do stand out and get noticed. My lasting impression of the American Academy of Dermatology congress in San Francisco in 2009 was not the subtle Aveeno posters plaster on bus shelters announcing it was the natural brand dermatologists recognised, or the facial filler brand whose name I forget, but the zillions of David Beckham posters twice life size lying around display his ball tactics.
(2) They stand out from the sea of muscled and toned men now appearing not only on underwear but many other items. Having a naked/ near naked man no longer is enough as so many now seem to be doing it, you need people to remember who you are - and associating a football star very publically helps with that. Especially as it seems that almost none of the ads talk about benefits and features of the product, just the look. So it is all about brand recognition and aspiration.
OK, enough of my cheesy double entente posting for one day.
I still ask: are there more naked men in ads than ever? There certainly are more near naked footballers!
100 Professional Footballers in underwear ad prove my point:
And if to prove the point that being an underwear model is the career of choice of footballers (or that they are good at selling underwear), the Belgian designer and reported football fan Dirk Bikkemberg had 100 professional footballers pose in underwear in a sort of art installation to launch his new range.
Dolce&Gabbana Italian Footballers and Calcio Underwear
In their words: "have more on Calcio and our five favourite Italian footballers: Antonio Di Natale, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Claudio Marchisio, Federico Marchetti and Domenico Criscito. We have followed every movement of these sculptured bodies and captured tantalizing hints of well-groomed flesh while they were following Mariano Vivancos instructions. Sexy, attractive, the Calcio Dolce & Gabbana man will surely survive the World Cup"
Read More: Just who are they targeting with thsoe Ronaldo/ Aramani ads?
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