Studs Up

Yes, technically Barcelona won the match (and in some style), and Andres Iniesta showed everyone that the modern footballer does not have to be 6 foot plus and look like a woman. The the shortest, palest kid in the playground can still be the best, which is good news for short, pale kids everywhere (of which there are many).

But increasingly I find myself drawn to the marketing aspect of sports as well as the event itself. My career began in the topsy turvy world of advertising agencies and so I can’t help but be suckered into whatever devious psychological trap brands are setting these days.

As much as the final came down to Messi vs Ronaldo, it also represented Adidas vs Nike for the umpteenth time.

In the build up, both brands shelled out heavily in marketing dollars but ultimately Adidas came out on top. Not simply because Messi got his hands on the trophy while Ronaldo pouted and fouled his way through the 90 minutes, but because of how Lionel celebrated his goal – kissing his brand new Adidas F50i boot, which he debuted just for this final.

Staged? That was my gut reaction too, how could it not be? But upon closer inspection it’s clear that Messi comes down at an awkward angle, resulting in his boot flying off under its own power. He picks it up as he wheels away to celebrate his winner and voila! Adidas has a new homepage image until the 2009/10 season starts.

Now maybe they asked him to kiss his boots anyway, but even the cynic in me can’t do much with this one. I find it much more likely that Messi, having to pick up his boot anyway in order to celebrate, simply remembered that this was the first time he was wearing them and acted on impulse. If I was playing golf with a new putter and sank a 15 foot birdie, I’d probably kiss it too. The fact that he scored with his head confuses matters somewhat, but I digress.

Regardless, whatever Adidas is paying Messi for his rights is looking like the bargain of the year.

P.S. If you follow the NBA, a similar coup appears to be on the cards. Nike has spent gazillions building up Kobe Bryant vs LeBron James to meet in the NBA Finals (both Nike clients obviously) but the Orlando Magic look to be on the verge of beating James’ Cleveland team and ruining that idea. Orlando’s star player is Dwight Howard, an Adidas client.