As a fairly recent college grad and an avid sports fan, this topic is one I simply have to address. For those of you who watched the Eagles-Cowboys game last weekend, you may remember Eagles’ receiver Brent Celek’s celebration following an 11-yard touch down catch from Donovan McNabb. Celek celebrated the TD with the widely known Captain Morgan pose (right knee up, hands on his hips, shoulders poised).
What you may not yet know is that this move was part of a guerrilla marketing campaign secretly put in place by Captain Morgan.
According to a spokesperson for Captain Morgan, every time an NFL player was caught on camera in the Captain Morgan pose, the company would donate to the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, a nonprofit organization aimed at helping retired NFL players who have fallen on hard times.
When the NFL caught wind of this campaign, they immediately banned the Captain pose. Naturally. An NFL spokesperson said, regarding the pose, “Whether it’s rum or soft drinks or any other commercial product, that type of promotion is prohibited.”
Penalized or not, it was a unique idea.
Personally, I am a fan of these types of guerrilla marketing tactics. Whether this celebration was banned or not, it was an interesting outside-the-box marketing idea on Captain Morgan’s behalf. We’ve seen a lot of similar guerrilla marketing tactics in sports, but to my knowledge, never has a player actually incorporate part of a company’s logo or “motto” in a touchdown celebration.
This is a prime example of guerilla marketing, and of how even the smallest marketing move can get a player noticed. And remember, getting noticed is one way to get Ahead of the Game.
I am in no way encouraging players to break league rules, but sometimes you need to think outside the box as a player to get exposure.
Regardless of the penalty called on him for the celebration, I can only imagine the spike in his social media and Google stats.
Posted by Luke LaBeau
