#6 International Superstar

[RashfordU]

CPT #5

Mikko absolutely loves lego. It is not even a question. Known for spending his dad's money from as early as he can remember, he used to get the new lego catalogue each year and buy absolutely as many as his father's credit card would allow him. The first time the UPS truck showed up to the house, the parents were rather confused as to what was arriving (they did not order anything themselves). But after the driver went back to his truck not once, not twice, but three times, they knew it had to be their son. 14 sets, FOURTEEN of them arrived that day and there was both an very excited kid, and a very angry set of parents.

That love hasn't changed. and when the Lego Group reached out to Mikko to be a sponsor for their brand, it was an easy yes! So much so, that Mikko decided no matter what the amount of money Lego would give him for the partnership, it would be donated back to the company to provide sets to kids in situations that needed a smile. It has become such an amazing partnership. At each game, Mikko has been known to walk out of the clubhouse with a few sets for fans. Lego has even created its own Reykjavik United Stadium build, which features the iconic clubs home stadium. Mikko has absolutely loved being the face of the kids toy company, doing his best to ensure that the image he portrays both on and off the pitch matches the outstanding company.

Mikko hopes that it is a partnership that lasts a long time. He hopes that he can continue to support other organizations that work with children and provide them with the timeless toy that is known for bringing smiles to kids both young and old. To many more seasons!


APPROVED - and so heartwarming.

[roquefort]

CPT #5

Roquefort Cotswold is an international icon. He is a trend setter. Avante garde, haute couture, beautiful rodent - all words used to describe the sensation known as Roque. As such, he has a plethora of corporations all vying for his attention and endorsements. When trying to decide which to give his favor, he had to reflect.. what product would he stand behind? What single item would he wish to associate his name and likeness with? Well the answer is simple.. CHEESE. How can you have a rat sports superstar and not have a cheese endorsement? It's as natural as flies to honey. 

Trying to decide which cheese to endorse is another issue. While some of you may be screaming "Roquefort must endorse Roquefort!!!" It's not that simple. For starters Roquefort, the most brilliant cheese, is a TYPE of cheese rather than a brand. In addition, Roquefort has grown sick of it. I mean, it's named after him.. or vice versa, who knows. Either way, it's fun to branch out sometimes. As such, Roque travels to Italy so he can inspect their cheeses. A short plane ride from France and he lands in the northern province and heart of cheese culture Reggio Emilia. There, he attends the world cheese awards where 4,079 cheeses are pitted against one another - where only one can be king. There he samples the single greatest Parmesan Reggiana known to man.. the Azienda Agricola Grana D'Oro.. a "red cow" produced wheel that has been traditionally made by a single family dating back to 1936. With one bite of the finely aged product he knew this is it. This is the one. This is the wheel in which our rodent shall run the rest of his life on. 

A TV endorsement later and this wheel has gone global. With Roquefort's massive salary used as a subsidization, Roque has brought this cheese from the world of the elites to the every day man.

APPROVED - and here I was expecting lactose-intolerance pills, to bring the cheese to the masses.

[piza]

CPT 5

When Nikolai Ahmed was making a name for himself in the Minor Division with Seoul Mythic, he was lucky enough to be noticed by some Swedish brands and partnered with Tiger of Sweden. That partnership led to young Swedish footballers to be decorated in stylish jerseys and be recruited into his own academy, Svenska Talang Akademi. Since then Nikolai has played his first full season with CF Catalunya, and has gotten a career high of G/A. Nikolai scored 5 goals and assisted 7, beating the 3 goals and 5 assists he had the season prior. This season Nikolai shone as a midfield star for his team, and his performance earned himself not one but TWO sponsorships. 

The first sponsorship that Nikolai signed was with H&M, a company originated from Sweden but recognized across the world. The partnership lets Nikolai work with clothing designers to create a catalogue of casual wear. One item will be marketed specially, "Nikolai's Travel Jacket". It's a sleek and lightweight jacket which is perfect for traveling across the country or world. It is in the deal with H&M that he must wear this jacket as part as a marketing strategy whenever his team is traveling for away days, whether the game is in Tokyo or Hollywood. Nikolai is also helping design performance clothing, like training tops that can be passed as casual wear as well. 

Now, along with the H&M sponsor, Nikolai will also be sponsored by Spotify. Music was a big help in shaping his life and where he got to today. When Nikolai was younger, he used to make rap music whenever he had time away from football and school. He also enjoyed listening to pop, and Spotify took note of this when reaching out to Nikolai. Spotify and Nikolai has teamed up and released a pre-game playlist that Nikolai listens to. Aspiring footballers will be able to listen to what pumps Nikolai up before a huge match against Reykjavik or Sao Paulo. Although the idea hasn't been approved by CF Catalunya officials yet, Ahmed and Spotify have reached out to the club and asked if the playlist can be played while the team warms up, while the score board mentions that the music being played is part of the playlist.

While Nikolai is performing on the pitch and is slowly rolling into his prime years, sponsorships off the pitch keep rolling in. Nikolai is officially a global superstar in the football industry and hopefully these two new sponsorships will help boost is public profile to new heights.

Approved - can I get that playlist? 

[norththegreatestshowman]

CT5

Three years ago, Thomas signed a contract with Adidas. This highly paid contract came with a whole series of demands and constraints. Among them was the almost mandatory appearance at the brand's regular promotional meetings, most often in Germany, England, or the United States. Thomas struggled with these meetings due to the significant time difference with China. This situation forced him to nap whenever he could, even backstage at these events, sometimes just seconds before going on stage or meeting with the German company's shareholders.

Thomas also worried about missing several training sessions in a row. Some of his teammates, like the French-Korean Billy Bob (@Billy Bob)or the Japanese Shingo Takechi (@Darthus), usually skipped training sessions when he wasn't there to pick up girls on the town or play the new trendy game: Umamusume Pretty Derby. These behavioral deviations frustrated Thomas a little, but there was nothing he could do about it for the moment. And that was without taking into account the fact that Thomas hated training on a private jet; there was never really enough space for him to work his body to the best of his ability.

All these sacrifices and efforts were finally going to pay off, however. Next month, the "Hohenhahn Fussball Academy" would finally open its doors north of Hanover. Three soccer fields, 120 beds, a dozen specialized educators... The facility for which Thomas had sacrificed 80% of his lifetime sponsorship rights as well as some of his precious free time.

He had to invite the cream of German soccer, as well as a few teammates, for the grand opening. Jürgen Müller, Karl Schenkinger, Marcel Voda, the young Samson Okoro... With such an event and a partnership with a whole network of local clubs, including Hannover 96, Werder Bremen and VFL Wolfsburg, he really hoped to make local football flourish and give local youngsters a better chance to shine internationally.

Approved - A sacrifice well worth the time I think!

[Amidships]

CPT 5

Alex Calderon does not take corporate sponsorships, preferring instead to lend his likeness, voice, and influence to non-profit organizations around the world. He does make appearances for his own business ventures, however he uses his influence to ensure any company he invests in sticks to a rigid set of ethics foregoing profit when damage may occur. Calderon has two major focuses, one is getting people more active and involved through sport. He wants to ensure that everyone has access and can participate in his and every other sport around the world. His other focus is on animals; he has supported shelters, rescue organizations, and animal hospitals all around the world to ensure the best possible outcomes for as many animals as possible. Calderon believes that since they cannot advocate for themselves, that he can help do it for them. He frequently involves his business ventures in these goals as well, using his airline to transport people and animals around the continent as needed to improve access to services that may not be available locally. He brings children with no access to professional sports to huge international matches all across the globe in order to bring them an unforgettable experience. He also transports doctors to the places they need to be in order to do their jobs more effectively, whether that be veterinarians or doctors focused on treating human patients.

He is more than happy to create ads for these types of programs and his businesses that are designed to support them. However, he will never sell his name to a company that does not uphold the ethics they pretend to espouse. He has worked with other companies in the past, but only after a rigorous investigation into their business practices and the company's goals. None of these companies are large enough for your average person to know, but Calderon does his best to get their names out there as he believes they are doing important work for the world.

329 words

Approved - Love that you vet your sponsors for good ethics. Good people matter

[donut]

CPT #5

Julian Rubio has always been a step ahead of the competition, and sometimes literally a step too far ahead. Now, the União São Paulo striker from Andorra is channeling his notorious offside habit into something new, a sponsorship deal with Waze. Yes, that Waze, the navigation app that keeps millions of drivers from making wrong turns. Who better to represent a company that's all about knowing exactly where you are than a player who's made a career out of being in the wrong place at exactly the right time? Their campaign slogan says it all: "Stay onside with Waze." Production is already underway, with world-renowned director N. Day Shayamalan set to bring the campaign to life. Picture this, Rubio jogging through Brazil's busy streets and somehow ending up in the crosswalk before the light changes. Cut to him joining a coffee line and immediately getting waved back to the end. Each time, his phone buzzes with a familiar Waze notification: "Recalculating… you're offside again." "

Everyone jokes that I don't know where the line is," Rubio joked during the announcement. "Now I'm working with the company that literally draws lines for people around the world. Finally found my match."

The Waze team is clearly having fun with this, too. At the campaign’s announcement, the Waze CEO stated, "Julian's always pushing boundaries, we just want to help him figure out where those boundaries actually are. Whether you're navigating to the stadium or trying to time your runs, we've got you covered."

Soon Rubio's face will be plastered on billboards all across the world, from Shanghai to São Paulo to Hollywood. Love him for his amazing goals or laugh at him for his imperfect timing; either way, Julian Rubio has finally figured out how to turn being ahead of the game into a global brand.

Approved - Love this  also laughed out loud at the N Day Shayamalan bit

[CROney3]

CPT 5
[url=https://forum.simulationsoccer.com/showthread.php?tid=1289&pid=83219#pid83219][/url]
After the success of his Raid bug repellent campaign, and the inclusion of his skills as Team Mexico's goalkeeper for the Cup, Benecio had his sights on even bigger sponsorships. This time though, he would be more conscious of the impacts of the increased sales or consumption of the products. Raid did well, but the environmental impact was much larger than anyone could have anticipated.

So this time, while keeping with the theme of goalkeeping, Benecio had his eyes set on gold. No, not a gold medal (although he would love to get one!), we're talking a gold wrapper. What comes in a gold wrapper that is known for stopping things? That's right, Benecio was partnering with Trojan condoms! You want to stop those swimmers, you'll need the best stopper in the world!

Surely nothing could go wrong with this choice of sponsorship. The small, gold square is a symbol that's known world wide (I think) so this should be a slam dunk opportunity for Benecio to spread his recognition and fame. I mean, nothing could go wrong with promoting safe sex, right? RIGHT? Maybe some of these drunk hooligans could learn a thing or 2 about ensuring no goals are scored that night, eh? Hey that's a pretty good tag line that Trojan could use! Trojan: Be like Benecio and ensure nothing makes it into the net! 

Benecio should certainly start thinking about what's next, because this sponsorship might not work out well (unlike Trojan, which never fails!). Hmmm, what other product is used to stop something..... Spike strips? Parachutes? Baby gates? I guess he'll have to do some outside-of-the-box thinking for sponsorship number 3. But that seems like a future Benecio problem! The world is now on notice though. The SSL's best goalkeeper (despite what some haters may say) will be cashin' checks in the off season while cleanin' sheets during the Cup matches. Hey, clean sheets... maybe a laundry detergent sponsorship could be on the way!

Approved - And I am willing to bet people will be happier about this sponsorship 9 months from now then they think!

[Jiggy]

CPT 5

“This is great, but where is the cornucopia?” asks George Shaheen, as he holds up a crisp, white soccer kit featuring the MOSTLY unmistakable iconography of the Fruit of the Loom clothing company on the front.

Shaheen, the crafty right attacking midfielder from Reykjavik United, has just landed his first international marketing campaign. His agent provided him with a list of potential companies he could endorse for this monumental career moment, and when Shaheen spotted Fruit of the Loom on the list he didn’t hesitate to make them his selection.

There were just too many great connections – real connections – to draw from to make what will be a multi-year, multi-faceted branding and advertisement relationship between the Lebanese footballer and the company the perfect fit.

For starters, Shaheen grew up in and around the family fruit market, owned and operated by his father. It was a place Shaheen spent uncountable hours of his youth, both at leisure between practice and studies and in labor to support the family business. They sold the things depicted in the brand – apples and grapes of many assortments.

But secondarily, he grew up wearing Fruit of the Loom. The brand was economical and perfect for a working family relying on a single enterprise to pay for the wardrobe of multiple generations of relatives. Their clothes were affordable, durable, and comfortable. They held up and held out for the Shaheens. Which is why George Shaheen, in this moment, is so proud to be holding up a Fruit of the Loom branded football jersey.

Only the branding seems off to Shaheen.

“What do you mean the logo doesn’t have a cornucopia?” a confused Shaheen asks his agent. “Of course it does. Everyone knows that.”

“No, truly,” Shaheen’s agent responds. “The logo has NEVER featured a cornucopia. It’s a common misplaced belief.”

Shaheen looks from his agent to the Fruit of the Loom representative, who nods in assent.

“Then why do I distinctly remember the cornucopia?” Shaheen asks, becoming less sure of himself.

“Don’t be alarmed,” the Fruit of the Loom representative pleaded. “What you are experiencing is actually a very common thing with us. It’s called the Mandela Effect.”

“The Mandela Effect?” Shaheen questions, scratching his head.

“That’s right,” the Fruit of the Loom rep continues. “That is a term that refers to something that constitutes a ‘collective misremembering’ – where large numbers of people share the same false belief, and often strongly. I can tell you strongly remember our logo featuring a cornucopia. However, our company has never used a cornucopia in any of its branding. Come, take a look.”

The representative pulls out a binder showing a history of the logo, dating all the way back to 1917. True enough, none of the iterations in the binder show the distinctive fruit being housed in the cornucopia that Shaheen distinctly remembers from his childhood.

Shaheen’s confusion leads to the angle for the first ad campaign, which features an indignant Shaheen maintaining to fans, family, friends, teammates, coaches, managers, his belief that the Fruit of the Loom logo has been altered to remove the cornucopia that was featured when he began wearing the clothing as a young boy in Lebanon.

Approved - The Mandela Effect is crazy. The Cornucopia was THERE I swear it lol