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Free beer and top football - what's not to like?

Advertising's out on the tightrope of public perception - 
and it's a looooong way down...
European Super Bowl, sorry, League
The week kicked off with a multi-faceted furore as it emerged that 12 top football clubs including Real Madrid and Manchester United had signed up for a new championship backed by JPMorgan.
The US investment bank's $4.8 billion bid sparked outcry from all sides, a swift multi-billion counter-move from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to defend the existing Champions League monopoly, and an even swifter turnaround from the six English clubs who'd signed up for the mooted European Super League (ESL).
Big money is involved in the broadcasting of major sports events: 40-50 commercials in the US Super Bowl each sell for around $5.5 million.
And of course online/TV viewing has boomed during the COVID situation.
From the beautiful game to the blame game
On the COVID side of events, popular US lager Budweiser also sparked reaction when it jumped on the 'brand bribery' train with an offer of free booze:

"A free beer is not worth getting injected with an EXPERIMENTAL serum for which the manufacturer has ZERO liability if it affects your health or kills you. I'll buy my own adult beverage."

One viewer response
Have you had any difficult briefs as a result of COVID?
It can be tough to be truly inclusive when some people's reactions might go against your own personal beliefs or the company bottom line. You want to be mindful of who you're excluding with inclusivity campaigns.
Real inclusivity means people who don't agree with you, too.
Not everyone is happy with the blaming/coercive elements that imbue many COVID reports and campaigns.
"The NHS 'Look into my eyes' campaign is the worst," says one professional. "It's effectively accusing you of infecting them."
The campaign garnered more Dislikes than Likes on YouTube, with accusations the British government should have acted sooner/better and should ensure the UK has a well-funded national health service.
"We're not here to save the NHS," insists a retired doctor. "It's there to save us."

Free beer and top football - what's not to like?

Well...
People don't like being treated like idiots or commodities.
Ex-footballer turned ESPN commentator Gary Neville has a voice and he used it to deliver an impassioned lambasting of the ESL scheme.
Like football, advertising is a big-numbers name.
A whopping 47% - or 763 million - of internet users globally are using their voice through ad-blockers, which cost the publishing industry an estimated $78 billion in 2020.
Neville's outrage was about a lot more than a rewards-without-risk spat between millionaires and billionaires. 
In essence, it was about fair play, seeing off bullying tactics, community, and defending that really, really important thing called... erm... begins with a 'd'....
You know what I mean, right?
Dim...dem... democ...
It'll come back to me.

ENDS


Posted by Tree Elven on 08/08/2021

Keywords: European Super League, football industry, Gary Neville, ESL 2021, ad-blockers, commoditisation of people

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