A while back, we did a podcast about whether the NFL might someday sell corporate sponsorship on its jerseys, the way soccer clubs around the world do, and even Major League Soccer clubs in the U.S.
Before jumping in, the NFL should probably consider the possibility that foreign sponsors might want to get hold of their real estate. And this might lead to some language issues. Consider the case of the MLS team the Philadelphia Union, which just landed a sponsorship deal with the Mexican food giant Grupo Bimbo. Next season, the Union players will sport the company’s name on their chests — but not the “Grupo” part, just the “Bimbo.” (Via Mi Blog es tu blog; HT: Collin Campbell)
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The ONLY saving aspect is that these are guys wearing the jerseys, not women!
You know what, I don’t regularly watch soccer, but I’ve just put on my planner a reminder to watch their first game! I want to see a bunch of bimbos playing soccer!
Might this get their ratings an extra boost? Benefit directly from the money from Groupo Bimbo and indirectly from the (probably temporary) increase in people watching?
That’s hilarious
But great branding on Bimbo’s part: they’re definitely trying to make their name more synonymous with “good bread” than with “insulting women.”
Bimbo has sponsored Mexican league teams for years. Love the jerseys.
Another side of this issue is that there is a negative affect to these sponsorships. Would you buy products with the same brand name that is on the front of a team you despise?
I bet that’s why in Eurpoe, huge companies sponsor the entire league, or why some companies sponsor both sides of a heated rivalry.
Many US Soccer fans are also fans of international Soccer, and Grupo Bimbo is a major sponsor in the Mexican top-flight, so after the initial chortle, I don’t think it will be a harmful association. Any revenue lost in Jersey sales will be more than made up for by the sponsorship. But it does seem odd that they would choose to use the logo of the parent company, which is not well known in the United States, rather than the logo of one of the brands, such as Arnold, Stroehmann’s, Thomas’, or Entenmann’s. Perhaps they wanted to raise awareness about the company?
There is sponsorship now in the 20 big Reebok logos on the current uniform.
Major League Baseball tried putting ads on the bases at a few games a while back, but the public reaction was so negative that they took them off.
NASCAR would seem to be the standard-bearer for advertising in American sport.
The Welsh rugby team used to be sponsored by a local beer called “Brains” — so the jerseys had the word “Brains” emblazoned across the chest
Which wasn’t so funny until match day when the cameramen inevitably went to shots of female fans wearing their team’s kit.