When most Americans are subject to an average of 3000 brushes with advertising per day it’s no wonder companies are trying alternative and ethically questionable marketing strategies. In what is one ballsy and sneaky move, Captain Morgan attempted to launch a guerrilla marketing campaign in football stadiums across the country. As seen to the left, players were quietly approached and asked to do the trademark Captain Morgan pose in exchange for a donation of $10,000 to the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund–an organization that caters to the various needs of retired football players. And when you consider that the average life span of NFL players is 55, it comes as a surprise that the NFL would squash the marketing campaign shortly after Brent Celek (a Philadelphia Eagles’ tight end) raised his knee in front of the Sunday Night Football cameras.
The NFL has banned the pose as a preemptive strike against any other players attempting to prepare for their retirement. During the playoffs, Captain Morgan was willing to pay $25,000 per instance ($100,000 in the Super Bowl), but it only took one play and pose for the NFL to shut down Captain Morgan. Fines for doing the pose will likely be high, given the fact that Brian Urlacher was fined $100,000 for wearing a Vitamin Water hat during a pre-Super Bowl media day.
Maybe the NFL will try and pass off the situation as the morally correct decision, justifying it with the logic that repeated instances would subconsciously drive child fans to consume fatal amounts of Captain Morgan. However, if they take that route then they have to somehow convince the public that all the Budweiser advertisements, which have been a part of Sundays for decades, do not subtly encourage kids to drink. But they probably will just handle this situation as quietly as possible, like all effective and working socialist institutions tend to do. The NFL either wants a cut or they are insulted that Captain Morgan went behind their backs and straight to the players. Either way, the Captain is a sly son-of-a-bitch. Personally, I never liked the guy–it’s because of him that I slept in a driveway after evacuating the contents of my stomach (multiple times). Serves him right, but you gotta give credit where credit is due, and this may have failed, but it was a solid idea that was going towards a worthwhile cause.
(via Yahoo)
Discussion Starters:
Is the NFL making the right decision? And should the NFL be more lenient in regards to touchdown celebrations?
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