Yesterday’s conclusion of the longest match in the history of tennis saw many of the E! team clustering around the television feeling sorry for Nicolas Mahut and marvelling at how tall John Isner is.
In what was a seriously impressive display of stamina and determination, John and Nicolas took the match to an incredible 70-68 score in the final set, after 11 hours and 5 minutes of play. But what next? Well, being dedicated media / advertising geeks here at Eulogy!, we immediately began to discuss the inevitable ad deals which will be coming the way of these players in the coming weeks and months. Viagra, Duracell, Pringles and Long Johns (!) were all suggested, and I’m sure we’ll see similar brands throwing their hats in the ring to snap these guys up.
On a serious note, this issue raises what we are constantly saying on behalf of our marketing clients: sponsorship and celebrity endorsement should always centre around a valid and relevant link from endorser to brand; there’s nothing worse than a sponsorship deal that leaves consumers confused as to what the connection is.
We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled to see what happens next for these players; hopefully they’ll fit in a nice long rest before embarking on anything new!
