Sports Marketing and the 2010 Argentine World Cup Team Jesse Sachdeva University of Kansas – LAA 602 – Summer 2010 Page | 1 SOCCER IN SOUTH AMERICA In the United States, we are now entering our fifth decade of being told by the sports punditry that soccer is “about to ‘happen’ in this country.” For a variety of reasons, some of which include greater global integration, the continued growth and expansion of Major League Soccer and shifting domestic demographic and cultural trends, they may finally be right. But for the rest of the world, especially South America, soccer is far more than an upstart, second-tier sport. In Brazil, players are held on pedestals, often referred to by simple, mononymous nicKnames such as Pelé, Ronaldinho, and Deco, and revered by people from all walKs of life, throughout the country. Conversely, in Colombia, after national team captain Andrés Escobar accidently scored a goal on his own team, causing Colombia’s early elimination from the 1994 World Cup they were favored to win, he was murdered by local drug Kingpins who had lost millions Statue of Diego Maradona Erected in honor of winning the betting on the game. While most people fall somewhere in between these 1986 World Cup extremes, they represent the life-or-death passion and intensity that many South American fans feel with every KicK of the soccer ball. With soccer’s unique position as a nearly universal cultural touchstone, many businesses are drawn to featuring “the beautiful game” in their advertisements. As the world’s most watched sporting event, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup is the pinnacle of this relationship. Throughout Argentina, both global and domestic companies have sought to develop campaigns that tap into the popularity of both the sport itself and this year’s extraordinarily special Argentine national team. HISTORY: MARADONA AND MESSI Mural of Maradona and Messi To better understand the hype and promotion surrounding the 2010 Argentine team, we must first delve into the history of this storied program. Known domestically as La Selección (The Selection) and La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue), the Argentine team has been competing internationally since 1901. The team has had a storied competitive history and is currently tied with Uruguay for the most international titles won by a national team with 19 championships (AFA). The team was at the height of its power from the late 1970’s to the early 1990’s under the leadership of star player Diego Maradona. Captaining the 1986 World Cup team through a historic championship run, Maradona gave a career-defining performance in that tournament’s quarterfinal game against England. With tensions still running high between the two countries in the waKe of the FalKlands War four years earlier, Maradona led Argentina to a 2-1 victory, scoring both goals himself. The first goal, an illegal, but unpenalised handball goal, would come to be Known as the “Hand of God Goal.” The image of Maradona KnocKing this ball in with his hand can be seen in murals and posters throughout Argentina and has become even more iconic and ubiquitous than Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan pose here in the United States. After the game, Maradona coyly said that the ball had gone in “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God,” and the name was born. This would marK the beginning of Maradona’s long time love-hate relationship with the The infamous press. “Hand of God” goal Page | 2 Though this goal was met with protest and controversy, Maradona silenced his critics four minutes later by weaving through six English defenders and scoring another goal completely unassisted. A 2002 poll conducted by FIFA.com named this second goal the “Goal of the Century.” This game and the eventual 1986 World Cup title launched Maradona into the Pantheon of Argentine culture. A café in the famous La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires features wood-carved sculptures of the three “patron saints” of Argentina; Former First Lady and “Spirit of the Nation” Eva Perón, Tango King Carlos Gardel and Maradona. However, the Argentine hero was not without his faults. Accusations of doping haunted his later career and following his retirement in 1997, Maradona’s life fell into a tailspin of ill health, overeating, alcohol and cocaine abuse all chronicled in the Argentine tabloids. After suffering a heart attacK in 2004, Maradona took steps to Maradona before and after his gastric turn his life around by entering a rehabilitation clinic, and later, undergoing bypass surgery gastric bypass surgery. By 2005, Maradona had sobered up, slimmed back down and become a popular late night talk show host. When Argentine national team Coach Alfio Basile resigned from his post in 2008, Maradona was quicK to announce his interest in the position. Though he had very little coaching experience and a laundry list of personal dramatics, Maradona became the popular choice and was placed in command of the team he had once led to glory as a player. As a coach, Maradona became known for his fiery outbursts in press conferences. Members of the press began to vehemently doubt Maradona’s capabilities after a staggering 6-1 loss to Bolivia in the World Cup qualifiers. When Argentina came bacK to One of Maradona’s many animated win the rest of their games and successfully qualify for the World Cup, press conferences Maradona boastfully offered his doubters to “s**K it and carry on s**King it.” (goal.com) Though these remarKs earned him $23,700 fine and two month suspension from FIFA, Maradona’s outspoKen passion and charismatic resolve continue to endear him to the Argentine people. While some are embarrassed by his actions, many still see him as the physical embodiment of both their storied past and a possible bright future ahead. This has made him a viable commercial spoKesman, despite his personal troubles. Jen Bensiner of The Houston Chronicle summed up the complex relationship between Maradona and his countrymen by saying, “To understand the gargantuan shadow Maradona casts over his soccer-mad homeland, one has to conjure up the athleticism of Michael Jordan, the power of Babe Ruth, and the human fallibility of MiKe Tyson. Lump them together in a single, barrel-chested man with shaggy black hair and you have El Diego, idol to the millions who call him “D10S,” a mash-up of his playing number and the Spanish word for God.” Frustration and celebration on the sidelines Page | 3 The other force that had Argentine hopes swelling going into the World Cup was that of Lionel Messi. From a young age, Messi had shown great potential despite his relatively small size. At the age of 13, he was recruited to play for FC Barcelona, who offered treatment from a growth hormone deficiency he had suffered from as a child. MaKing his league debut in 2004 at only 16, Messi led Barcelona to bacK- to-bacK Spanish La Liga League titles and a UEFA Champions Messi playing for FC Barcelona League title within his first two seasons. After riding the bench for much of the 2006 World Cup, Messi really broKe out for the Olympic gold Argentine national team at the 2008 Olympic Tournament, medal in 2008 leading the team to a gold medal. Following the Olympics, Messi had bacK-to-bacK standout years for Barcelona. In 2008- 09, Barcelona won all six trophies on offer, including the Champions League, La Liga and the Club World Cup. All that, plus a 38-goal season, earned Messi the 2009 FIFA World Messi wearing the number 10 jersey after Player of the Year Award. His swift playing style and short being granted permission by Maradona stature drew frequent comparisons to Maradona. Excitement was piqued in March 2009, when Maradona himself granted Messi permission to wear his famous number 10 jersey in the upcoming World Cup. Coming into 2010, Messi seemed poised to taKe the World Cup by storm. His past FIFA Player of the Year triumphs had made him into the face of Argentine soccer with his image appearing in 2009 billboards and television commercials throughout the country. At only 23, he had received almost every accolade available to a soccer player except, of course, the big one, the World Cup title. Though some in the sport media had questioned whether his heart really lied with his club team, Barcelona, Messi appeared up to facing the pressures his countrymen had laid upon him. GLOBAL CAMPAIGNS IN THE ARGENTINE MARKET COCA-COLA While in Argentina, I tooK note of many global advertising campaigns that had been adapted through various means to fit the Argentine marKet. One of the first advertisements I noticed upon arrival was for the world’s most recognized brand, Coca-Cola. A digital vending machine in the Buenos Aires airport featured the familiar white Coke swirl accented with Argentine sky blue and the words “Celebramos Más Alementos Juntos, Copa Mundial Limited edition Coca-Cola bottles featuring 2010” (We encourage celebrating together, World Cup 2010) scrolling the “Celebramos Juntos” campaign across. As with most international sporting events, CoKe had spared no expense in their World Cup promotion. Billboards in downtown Buenos Aires featured Messi, Carlos Tévez and other national team players embracing in victory with the Celebramos Juntos tagline. Special edition CoKe bottles featuring images of the national were available in every Club Social and Open 25 Hours convenience store. Even the Spanish Wavin’ Flag (Coca-Cola version of the World Cup theme song, “Wavin’ Flag” by South The Argentine team wearing jerseys featuring Spanish Celebration Remix African rapper K’naan, was branded the “Coca-Cola Spanish the Coca-Cola logo while sitting in front of signage promoting Powerade Page | 4 Celebration Remix.” Also heavily promoted in CoKe’s Argentine advertisements was its sports drinK product, Powerade, through domestic billboards and in-stadium signage featured on location in South Africa.