*Sigh*
Here’s a picture of Andres Iniesta (Barcelona and Spanish international footballer, World Cup winner, European Championship winner, winner of four Champions League titles, winner of seven La Liga titles etc), ‘enjoying’ a Kalise ice cream:
Why do brands still do this?
We’re not idiots – are we supposed to believe one of the best footballers of a generation keeps fit by sitting on benches all day, licking Kalise ice cream and smiling inanely?
So if we know that the only other reason a top athlete would pose with an ice cream, as if he’s a dedicated fan of the brand, is money… does that not render the whole campaign complete b*ll*cks?
Imagine the photo shoot: ‘Andres…can you just hold the ice cream a little higher? Yup, that’s it… and can you smile like you always enjoy ice cream? Yup… can you look like you’re genuinely into Kalise ice creams and we’re not just paying you to be here, despite the fact you have no other link with ice cream?… Thanks’.
Maybe this kind of marketing would make kids lean on their parents to buy them an ice cream, as their hero eats them… but only kids who care about football … and kids who aren’t into the newer, flashier footballers (Iniesta is 31, so no spring chicken in terms of the career of a professional footballer).
That aside though, the Kalise marketing is complete nonsense, and – to be frank – bloody lazy: ‘we haven’t got an idea to sell this ice cream… let’s take a picture of Iniesta holding one’.
I can’t imagine celebrity endorsement of products (products they clearly have no link to, whatsoever) will carry on forever – surely we’re not all that thick, are we?