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Posts Tagged ‘Nike’

Brands not fans killed Super League

Super League

Super League had a naff name and an agenda based on greed. Told the billionaires had been plotting the heist for years, you boggle at how ignorant so many mega-rich people can be. They ignored the fans but didn’t even get Amazon on side. Aside from the greedy club owners, who was backing the big project? The fans rebelled. And the narrative is that fan protests the got the horror show shut down. But the clubs owners’ big failure was in not selling Super League to broadcasters and huge brands. Where was the feature length Nike ad with Lionel Messi and Ronaldo extolling the virtues of Super League and how it would improve the planet / climate change / BLM and whatever noble causes the money machines can latch on to to give their quest for profits some soul? Grace Robertson makes the point:

If you were listing important commercial partners to top European clubs, you’d put Nike pretty high on the list, right? Right. Nike are pretty damn important to the football industry.

Take a look at how Nike’s big splashy ad of the past year, titled “You Can’t Stop Us”.

Let’s read that monologue, delivered by Megan Rapinoe, in full:

“We’re never alone. And that is our strength. Because when we’re doubted, we’ll play as one. When we’re held back, we’ll go farther. And harder. If we’re not taken seriously, we’ll prove that wrong. And if we don’t fit the sport, we’ll change the sport. We know things won’t always go our way. But whatever it is, we’ll find a way. And when things aren’t fair, we’ll come together for change.

We have a responsibility to make this world a better place.

And no matter how bad it gets, we will always come back stronger. Because nothing can stop what we do together.”

…The message is very obvious: “We are a caring company that shares your values. So buy our shit.” …

If a corporation decides to put itself front and centre on a sponsorship deal with the Super League, what brand values is it communicating? Not the values they all seem to want to go for. It’s the brand values of the early 90s and the Premier League. It’s that of greed and wealth. It’s exactly what they don’t want to be associated with.

For years big clubs wielded their power to get what they wanted. Do as we say or else we will leave. Well, they tried it. And – boy – did they fail. In the longterm, football fans could be big winners with better competition and the rise of mid-ranking sides.

Read it all.

Posted: 22nd, April 2021 | In: Key Posts, Money, News, Sports | Comment


‘Traditional’ new Spurs kit ‘is the Barcelona training kit’

Spurs are looking a lot like Barcelona. No, not in their style of play – and Barcelona actually win things. The two clubs’ kits ate remarkably similar. Nike’s marketing guff for the new Spurs kits tells us: “Binary blue and polarised blue knit sleeves reinforce the team’s heritage and values as they pay homage to the secondary blue used in many past kits.”

But this “special reinforcing of heritage and values” from Nike looks not a lot unlike the kit Nike supply for Barcelona to train in.

 

spurs kit barcelona

Spurs kit

 

Spurs Barcelona kit

Barcelona training kit

 

Listen out for chants of “Are you Tottenham in disguise” should Barcelona fail to win a trophy next season.

Posted: 22nd, July 2018 | In: Sports, Spurs | Comment


Nike horror: man flashes women before attempting sex with one of their dogs

Police hunt man who exposed himself to women and tried to have sex with one of their dog'

Just did it

 

All that money on marketing Nike to the cool kids only for one of your brand’s fans pulls on the big tick logo and attempt to have sex with a dog in Sydney, Australia, after exposing himself to two women.

Police are hunting the pervert. They have yet to search Adidas HQ.

Spotter

Posted: 11th, August 2015 | In: Reviews, Strange But True | Comment


Marketing Balls: Nike Launch Ronaldo’s New Real Madrid Boot In A Supernova Of Guff

ronaldo

WANT to buy Cristiano Ronaldo’s new Nike Mercurial IX CR7 boot, complete with ‘supernova’ skin print (in homage to Ronaldo’s “out of this world” performances since joining Real Madrid)?

In case you are still undecided as ty the merits of walking in Ronaldo’s shoes, the official Nike blurb, courtesy of design director Denis Dekovic, should seduce you

“The concept of a star that burns brighter than others reflects Cristiano’s style, speed and the idea that as a player he plays without limits, much like the outer reaches of the galaxy. What Cristiano is able to achieve on the field is something that we felt was limitless. So we took that direction and focused on creating a highly luxurious finish fused with modern print and colour choices.”

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Posted: 21st, October 2013 | In: Fashion, Sports | Comment


Nike X-Ray bone tights for ‘the athlete unafraid to make a statement’

WOULD you wear Nike Women’s Exclusive Print tights are athletic tights. The skeleton pattern is designed to “show what women are made of” . You can see the wearer’s “inner toughness.” You can buy them nude.

The new Nike Women’s Exclusive Print tight is a performance based pant for the athlete unafraid to make a statement. On the outside, she might be the girl next door, but on the inside, her body has survived grueling workouts, often pushing through pain, broken bones, pulled muscles and harsh tears…

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Posted: 19th, October 2012 | In: Fashion | Comment (1)


England to wear Nike instead of Umbro… and no-one should really care

ENGLAND, apart from a brief flirtation with Admiral, have worn Umbro kits since forever. However, that’s all about to change as the next England kit we’ll see will feature a Nike swoosh. All this on the 150th anniversary of the Football Association.

Of course, the initial irritation will be that England fans will have to buy yet another replica kit. Particularly galling as the newest one replaced a shirt that was only worn for eight games.

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Posted: 3rd, September 2012 | In: Sports | Comment


The Nike Black And Tan for St Patrick’s Day – run from the police in style

TO mark St Patrick’s Day, America shoe company Nike has unveiled The Black And Tan. NikeBlog says the Nike SB Dunk Low Black & Tan has been”inspired by the cloudy mix of Guinness and pale ale that is a Black & Tan”. Slash Foods hints:

A black and tanis equal parts stout (Guinness or otherwise) and lighter colored ale, often a Bass Pale Ale or Harp’s lager. Many an Irish barman will tell you that a layered black and tan is simply a Yank affectation and that in the homeland the two beers are simply poured together.

At this authentic Irish pub  in America, you can order Black O’Tan:

Thick-cut and hand-breaded, our onion rings are simply scrumptious. Try them dipped in our homemade Dublin sauce.

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Posted: 13th, March 2012 | In: The Consumer | Comment


Nike Women Billboard Fail

IN Russia, Nike is big news, catering for anyone and everyone. In this billboard, Nike woos three-legged women and two-legged men who like to dress as women…

nike-women

Posted: 22nd, October 2009 | In: The Consumer | Comments (2)


Lance Armstrong Tweets his broken collarbone

LANCE Armstrong, cancer survivor and cycling legend, is one of the most avid celebrity Tweeters. He updates regularly, and unlike most celebs, he usually has something to say for himself.

Even after breaking his collarbone, in Spain’s Vuelta Castilla y Leon race, didn’t stop the intrepid Armstrong from updating his Twitter profile, including this photo of him at Madrid airport.

His post-breakage Tweets included the following:

“I’m alive! Broken clavicle (right). Hurts like hell for now. Surgery in a couple of days. Thanks for all the well wishes.”

“Sitting here with @johanbruyneel at his house. Glass of wine, cheese and crackers. Now going to bed. Night, y’all.”

“Sitting in the airport getting ready to fly home. Layover in NYC then ATX!!”

“Btw, hard to tweet left handed.”

Now that’s an addicted Tweeter.

The injury shouldn’t keep Armstrong out of this year’s Tour de France, which should silence all of the cynics who think this is all some sort of controversy theory designed to avoid testing positive for drugs. A ridiculous notion.

Posted: 24th, March 2009 | In: Sports | Comment


Football fashion: why can’t black be the new black?

Much has been made of Nike’s ghastly new pink boots, as sported here by Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner.

The pink boot was inevitable, really. From the moment that Alan Ball first pulled on a pair of white boots, for Everton in the 1970/71 Charity Shield (“They were crap,” squeaked little Alan), it was only a matter of time – it took almost 40 years, but we got there in the end.

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Posted: 27th, November 2008 | In: Back pages, Sports | Comments (8)


Nike Wants You To Jump Into The Tunnel

JUMPING into the tunnel is forbidden – so Just Do It, say Nike…

Spotter: Tom Mayhew

Posted: 10th, September 2008 | In: Money, Photojournalism | Comments (6)