Product endorsement, an ad-bomination

The ridiculous amount of money the globe's top sports stars earn is something that is regularly debated. It's certainly a topic that comes up with many of my more advanced English students via a discussion book that explores what are seen as some of today's 'controversial' topics.

The great Maradona in his Mars-sponsored Napoli shirt. 

The latest edition of this chat was with a high-up manager at an international company that operates in Colombia.

Both of us were (and are) of the opinion that the use by companies of such well-paid sports stars (and others) for product endorsement is a little silly; that the amounts paid don't really justify the results, which are intangible at best. Can you really say, for example, that using Lionel Messi to promote Head & Shoulders leads to bigger sales?

My student, owing to his line of work, had personal experience in this whole area. Working for the chocolate company Mars in Argentina in the mid-80s, he was asked to persuade his compatriot Diego Maradona to become the face of the chocolate bar in Europe following his move to the Italian club Napoli from Barcelona in 1984.

Maradona, apparently, had pretty much no idea what he was being asked to endorse. In fact, as my student who dealt with him put it, he was thinking more about the Spanish word marte, referring to the planet Mars. The footballer might have thought he was backing a Martian invasion for all he knew. (Although he no doubt devoured a few of the chocolate bars in his time — nothing healthier sure.)

However, when sufficient money was put on the table, a deal was reached. My student had forewarned his more senior management in the US that they were practically "giving money to a monkey" and that it was risky business. At the time, such warnings fell on deaf ears.

Maradona's well-documented drug problems that later came to light meant that the Mars association was subsequently dropped.

OK, Maradona was a unique character, on the field in a majestic way but off it in a somewhat malignant manner. Needless to say, not all sports stars carry the same product-association risk.

But it still begs the question: Is this type of much sought-after superstar endorsement worth it for companies? As stated above, I don't think so and neither does my student who is more qualified to speak on this topic.

Granted, there are other, perhaps more significant factors that contribute to the bloated salaries many sports stars receive. However, this just adds to the madness, while the practice itself seems mad. Couldn't the money be spent on more practical things?

Yet, the companies who engage in it surely have their homework done. It may be seen as advertising on the cheap in a way. Considering the cost of prime-time ads and/or a big, prolonged marketing campaign, a one-off payment to some well-known face to say he/she eats or uses or does whatever with a product may make more economic sense.

Bearing in mind, though, that most 'normal' thinking adults couldn't care less if a certain star uses a certain product, why bother with such rather meaningless, high-profile endorsements at all? Save a bit of money lads. The quality, or otherwise, of the thing in question should speak for itself.
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Forlorn Falcao

You have to admire, in some ways, Colombian patriotism. Among each other, they may bad mouth their country and criticise its many ills, but when it comes to outside 'attacks' they seem pretty good at closing ranks and rallying behind Colombia's cause, whatever that might be.

Falcao: Time to say goodbye to Manchester United? (Photo from Facebook.)

This is especially the case in the sporting arena. In last summer's Fifa World Cup, for example, the nation focused its wrath on the Spanish referee who 'robbed' Colombia's football heroes of what would have been a historic semi-final spot. Not much, however, was said of the rather timid first-half display from a team that up to that point had set the tournament alight.

Of course, Colombia made it to the last eight without the man who had been their talisman in qualifying for the tournament, a certain Señor Radamel Falcao. As we all know, a new star and national, nay international, hero announced himself on the world stage at Brazil 2014, James Rodríguez. But much adored as he is, Falcao is still hugely respected and revered here.

So Colombian pride has been hurt by the way he has been treated at his loan club this season, Manchester United. The Dutchman at the helm at Old Trafford, Louis Van Gaal, is very much the villain in these parts. And if Colombians needed justification for such a view, they got it recently from none other than the great Diego Maradona, who on a visit to Bogotá called Van Gaal 'the devil'. A strong endorsement that. A united Latino front or more a case, perhaps, of the crafty Argentinian playing to the gallery.

But the English club's manager may not be the one in the wrong here, if anyone is at fault at all.

OK, it can be argued with good reason that Falcao hasn't been given sufficient opportunities to prove himself in Manchester. Game time has been limited, even when he has been fit to play.

Diego Maradona: Who ate all the pies? (Photo credit: Amy Farrell.)

Yet, of the chances he did get to show us his undoubted quality, the latest coming in the recent league defeat at Chelsea, he hasn't been that impressive, to say the least. What's more, United have found a system and — more importantly — winning form without him. For a manager who was under the cosh just a few months ago, with the non-deployment of Falcao a regular stick to beat him with, Van Gaal now has solid results to throw back at his critics.

For sure, it appears the relationship between the striker and gaffer isn't great and at times it seemed like Van Gaal wasn't playing the Colombian purely out of stubbornness. Whether that's the case or not, you can't find too much fault with the manager's selection of late (the Chelsea game excepted); and the reality is that Falcao is, at this moment in time anyway, a bit part in the United revival.

The goals he recently netted on international duty show he still has his predatory instincts, while they also added more fuel to Colombian annoyance at how he is being treated in England. Although scoring against Bahrain and Kuwait in friendly fixtures isn’t the greatest yardstick on which to judge a top-class striker.

At this remove, it's unlikely he'll hang around Manchester once this current loan spell expires at the end of the season. The best move for all concerned, you'd have to think.

A trip back to club football on the European continent, after what both he and Colombia will hope to be a successful Copa América, might be just what El Tigre needs to rediscover his mojo.