#3 Media Day

[JR95]

Career PT 2

With Hollywood on the rise and a lot of their younger players making the jump to the major leagues, there seems to be a certain level of eagerness from corporate sponsors to try and sign some of this fresh talent to sponsorship deals a little early, even if they aren't all exactly superstars yet. That's exactly what is happening with Cormier as he has started to receive sometimes multiple calls per week from various companies looking to take him on. There's the typical sports apparel brands, cleat manufacturers, even a few fitness centers looking to plaster his face on anything and everything they can in California. But if Cormier is going to do a sponsorship deal, he really wants it to be something he's passionate about and truthfully, none of these things or brands really move the needle for him at all. So Cormier decided to take matters into his own hands and make the first move. The first step was figuring out what he is really passionate about, and that came naturally to Cormier: Oreos. Leave a pack of Oreos laying around and you can bet Cormier will make them disappear before you even notice. So Cormier had his people contact Christie and to his surprise, they were on board from the very first conversation.

 It didn't take long to get Cormier into a studio for photo and video sessions, all in an effort to get an ad campaign ready to go for season 18. He spent an entire day at their studio, taking silly pictures and shooting hilarious television ads and, of course, eating Oreos of every variety. It was a very fun day for Cormier, but the best part of it was when Christie told him in addition to his revenue payments, he would also be getting a shipment of Oreos every week for the duration of the contract. Not only that, but he would also get exclusive early access to any new or promotional flavors. While it may not be the most soccer related ad deal, its one Cormier was more than happy to do and he hopes to have a long and healthy relationship with Christie to hopefully keep promoting Oreos on their behalf.

APPROVED - What would a soccer-themed Oreo flavour be? Grass? Sweat?

[Aleris]

CPT 1
CPT 2

Viktoria has been banging around in the second division for what feels like forever. Unfortunately second division players don’t really grab a ton of high level endorsement deals the way that first division players do. But Viktoria Snooks has grown to become a second division legend. She now has 5 Minor Division titles under her belt and even has won an SSL Cup as a Minor Division team. I believe that has never happened in the 18 seasons of the SSL. So Viktoria was shocked when a company reached out with a deal.

Viktoria had recently revealed on Instagram that she was pregnant! While that brought it’s own complications with being a pro soccer player, it got even crazier when a New Zealand based stroller and baby care product company reached out to here. Having played in New Zealand for almost 6 seasons, Viktoria was a small legend and phil&teds wanted to run a whole ad campaign with her. They also wanted to do some media interviews and articles on the challenges of pregnancy while being a pro soccer player and the expectations of single mothers in society. Viktoria was very happy to open up about being an orphan, her adoption process, and how she is so excited to have a baby of her own. She also worked really hard through the campaign to strip away the taboo and stigma surrounding pregnancy that is so pervasive in the patriarchy. She even did a pretty scandalous photo shoot at about 7 months to show off the belly and really get back at the patriarchy. By the end of the campaign you could not walk through a mall without seeing Viktoria walking with a stroller or modeling some sort of pregnancy fit athletic wear (as more companies started to tag on and ask her to do even more endorsements). Viktoria thought she might have an offseason for herself but it turned out to be a very busy offseason becoming a mom and being sponsored for the first time.

APPROVED - love the original product choice and theme.

[donut]

Career Point Task #2

The news sent shockwaves through the principality of Andorra, their brightest footballing talent in a generation had just secured the first major international sponsorship deal for any Andorran athlete. Coming off of a stellar rookie in the SSL many expected him to draw interest, but the announcement from Krispy Kreme, the world renowned donut company, surprised many. A donut company sponsoring a football player?

But Krispy Kreme’s CEO saw something special in the young striker who had defied the odds by being selected first overall to Brazilian club União São Paulo. “Rubio represents the devotion to excellence that goes into every one of our products,” the CEO explained. “An Andorran playing professional football in Brazil? That takes passion and dedication, and that’s the kind of story we at Krispy Kreme want to share.” Rubio was quoted saying, “I’m extremely excited for this partnership. I’ve been a longtime fan of Krispy Kreme, and it’s amazing to be a part of such an iconic brand.” He added, “To be able to represent a company that stands for happiness and joy around the world is truly an honor, and I can’t wait to see where this partnership takes us.”

The three-year agreement, valued at €500,000 each year, established him as the spokesperson for Krispy Kreme’s latest creation: the Brigadeiro Donut. This new offering combines their traditional glazed donut with Brazil’s beloved chocolate truffle, specifically crafted to delight dessert enthusiasts across the country. The donut quickly gained popularity, drawing long lines of eager customers. Additionally, Krispy Kreme partnered with União São Paulo to open a stand within the stadium, where they sold donuts during home matches.

The sponsorship broke new ground for both Andorran sports and Krispy Kreme. The company's social media following in Brazil grew tenfold, while their sponsored athlete's status as Andorra's first globally sponsored player elevated him to national icon status. Local bars and cafes in Andorra now show Brazilian league matches regularly, with crowds gathering to watch their homegrown hero take on the greatest players in the world.

APPROVED - Wash that down with a shot of cachaça.

[CROney3]

Career Task 2

Goalkeeper. Defense. Stopping. Those words are all linked in your mind. So that's why when Raid (not to be confused with Shadow Legends) Bug Repellent came to Benecio to become their next (only?) spokesperson, he couldn't turn down the offer. The money was amazing, don't get him wrong. But Raid is known as the best bug repellent in the world. It repels bugs the way Benecio repels goals. You've got a bug problem, make sure to buy some Raid. You've got a goals allowed problem, make sure you bring in Benecio.

During his first photo shoot, Raid wanted Benecio to use the spray can, while standing in the net, to repel the "bugs" that came flying at him. At first, he obliged, not sure how to best give his artistic input on the matter. But after a few takes, he encouraged staff members to start kicking soccer balls at him, so they started with 1 at a time. Then they started kicking more, getting up to about 6 soccer balls at a time. He stopped them all, not a problem. He was doing so good, that the only CGI that they needed to use was turning his arms into Raid spray cans for the commercial. They even added little "spurts" of air to make it look like that was doing the repelling of the balls.

The commercial was a big hit amongst soccer fans. Mexico, Brazil, even Paris was getting a kick out of seeing this wacky commercial. Sales of Raid skyrocketed after the commercial aired. People were spraying Raid at every little big they could find, pretending they were Benecio.

Little did Benecio realize, his up and coming fame has propelled the sales of CFC's that are slowly depleting the o-zone again. Pain.

APPROVED - love the environmentalist coda, there.

[Chef Gagne]

Career Point Task #2

It took a minute for Alexis "Chef" Gagne's fame to catch up with him in Sao Paolo. Back in the states, Chef Gagne is the beloved shortstop for the Indianapolis Apex of the PBE and part-time celebrity Chef. When he used to have an off-season (no longer possible having joined the SSL), Chef would spend his winters cooking at his family's restaurant in Louisiana. Now that he is a two-sport star, Gagne really doesn't have time to cook like he wants to, so he has to cook when he can. It started slow, with Gagne approaching local restaurants in Brazil offering to work for free to the bewilderment of Sao Paolo's restauranteurs who would scratch their heads in disbelief at Gagne's bizarre offer and broken Portuguese. As the season kicked into gear, and Sao Paolo began actually winning the occasional game, Gagne was no longer some anonymous American. He was Sao Paolo's aggressive central defensive midfielder with long hair and a proclivity for surgical passes and bruising tackles. The sleepy steak house with an open kitchen that he started working for quickly became a sensation among locals who had previously written it off. 

Chef not only joined their back of house staff on a part time basis, he transformed the way they do things. A proper hierarchy was put in place. Uniform standards were imposed and enforced. While there was initial pushback, the staff responded to his style of leadership and dissent quickly quashed itself. Gagne brought just the tiniest hint of southern creole to a this Brazilian Churrascaria, revolutionizing their culinary approach and igniting a conflagration of popularity that has resurrected their business and sent shockwaves through the great Sao Paolo restaurant community. Once tik tok found him and footage of him working the line went viral, the phone started to ring. Before long, Gagne was signed by the Brazilian Chef Knife company "Katana Red,"  to a corporate sponsorship. Combined with his PBE contract, Gagne had no need for the extra cash so all proceeds have been dedicated to the local foodbanks and soup kitchens, where Gagne also makes the occasional appearance as guest chef. Now, whenever Gagne makes a key play on the pitch, the crowd loves to honor him in his native English with the booming chant, "Let Him Cook! Let Him Cook!"


APPROVED

[Amidships]

CPT 2

Since joining the SSL, Alex Calderon has spent more time flying than any other point in his life. Growing up in southern California with upper middle class parents meant a couple trips a year, and Calderon thought he was exceptionally lucky to have those trips. Once he was assigned to the SSL Academy Victoria Falls Eagles, everything changed. He was flying long hours in cramped airplanes across oceans to opposing stadiums. This only got worse when he was drafted to Hollywood FC and then sent down to FC Kaapstad, which meant another trip back to Africa. During his travels, he fell in love with the people and the multitude of cultures of the continent. He loved it so much that he decided to obtain citizenship and transferred his international eligibility to Zambia, where he would go on to earn caps for East Africa in the World Classic. The amount of travelling, and the number of people he met on these flights highlighted an opportunity for Alex Calderon.

He had many offers for sponsorships once he'd been drafted to Hollywood, but Calderon ended up settling on an offer from an African based regional airline that didn't offer him money. Instead, he was paid with shares in the company and offered a seat on the board. Calderon was very interested as he wanted to invest in travel and tourism in the region and considered this to be an excellent entry point into the market. He began working with the board on tourism packages for southern and eastern Africa using the airline as a backbone for traveling the area. He pushed the board to focus on comfort, sustainability, stewardship, and philanthropy; pillars that would help shape the company's mission. Calderon appeared in print, television, and web ad spots and worked hard to get the various teams and league personnel he interacted with to utilize the airline for more of their African travel. He hopes to eventually partner with the league to help fund further philanthropic endeavors in the region.

336 words

APPROVED

[z0rem]

CPT 2

A breath of fresh air and Orlando looks at the cameraman again as he hears the words, "Take 32". After some excellent play in his second season, Orlando has been tapped by Kraft cheese in America to make some videos for them to sell their delicious American singles down in Panama. Panama has always closely aligned with the United States and therefore get a lot of products from America into their grocery stores. In this particular ad, Orlando is being made to eat a grilled cheese that is oozing out some good orangeness while extolling the virtues of Kraft singles. Throughout take 32, Orlando was questioning how he got to this place from all that he has done in the past. 

Growing up, food was more traditional as it was scarcer and required his parents to buy more bulk than anything. Bread was homemade, cheese was a rarity, and usually it was rice and beans. The idea that hot cheese on bread could be a meal was so foreign to him that he really did not eat his first grilled cheese until he was playing for North Shore. It just so happened that he was chowing down on one at the stadium after a game when a representative from Kraft ran into him and made him an offer to be in a commercial, and in return they would help Orlando finance his soccer dreams by buying some gear and helping out his family back at home. Now Orlando was all set to reject the offer until the rep threw in all of the support they would give to his parents. Being staunchly in support of anything that would benefit them, Orlando agreed to do several commercials that would be aired back in Panama to both boost his national image as well as help the sponsor company.

APPROVED

[cake307]

CPT 2

This was it. Time for a national brand spot. Time for Daryl to become a star in the making! Or, at least, make some extra cash and be way cooler than any of his friends would ever get to be.

The filming, to his great joy, was taking place on Sydney City's own grounds on a day they weren't in use, and after the required makeup was done, Daryl got in position. He looked at the camera, artifical cheering pumped in through stadium speakers, and lifted his fists to the air. Several extras in Athenai uniforms rushed in, hugging him and secretly supporting him from behind. One even sneakily handed him a shoe, his own boot, he'd insisted on that much, from behind. He lifted the shoe up, putting it to his lips, and drank. Then, his other hand, an empty green and red can, which he smashed on his head with aplomb.

Cut!

Later that day, Daryl was brought into the editing studio to see the finalized project. After all, he needed to agree to sign off on it.

On the screen, the ad began.

Daryl ran towards the camera, screaming in joy as the sound of three whistles could be heard. Teammates, or at least people dressed like teammates, swarmed up behind him, hugging him, piling around, mugging the camera. His arms lowered, then a moment later came up again. He was holding, in one hand, his own boot, and in the other that green can with a red and white circle, a bold VB in the middle, facing the camera. He put the boot to his lips, clearly drinking out of it, then dropped it, smashing the can into his forehead. He looked directly back into the camera and gave the ad read. "In victory, I've earned it. In defeat, I need it. Victoria Bitters. For a hard earned thirst!"

APPROVED - I'm thirsty now.

[norththegreatestshowman]

Career Task #2

Thomas Hohenhahn had decided to return home during the offseason, exhausted by his busy season with Kaapstadt. After a long flight, he was picked up at Niclas Füllkrug Airport in Hanover by his parents Gernt and Evelyn.

The young striker's return to German territory did not go unnoticed, and despite a first week spent in isolation, far from the media, crowds and various public events, local supporters flocked to the vicinity of the Hohenhahn family home. Whether it's out of curiosity, hoping to get an autograph from the player or even trying to send fan letters to the player's window in the form of paper airplanes.

A week after his return home, an important meeting took place. Wout Van Voorde, Thomas' agent, managed to organize a meeting between his protegee and two very important men. The first was the Minister-President of Lower Saxony Johann Plattenhart and the second Rudolf Dässler, president and grandson of the founder of the equipment manufacturer Adidas.

The arrival of these guests had clearly not gone unnoticed in the neighborhood, and a dozen bodyguards now surrounded the surroundings of the humble villa. The journalists quickly made their appearances, quickly calling on the security guards brought specifically for the occasion. Their excitement was all the more justified as Thomas had not previously been under any equipment manufacturer contract. Indeed, the young striker had even refused several offers from Puma during the previous season. On the other hand, Adidas did not seem to have attempted to contact the player, a surprising choice for the brand which has always had the reputation of being very enterprising with young German players. What's more, their current generations, Jürgen Müller (@Pandar) and Karl Schenkinger (@Shnitzl), have slowly begun to reach the end of their careers, and there would soon be room alongside Clara Schmidt (@Tsunny) and Gerd Klose (@Muford) on the poster of the German firm.

The interview lasted almost three hours. When the two guests finally left the Hohenhahn home, they were almost overwhelmed by the fury of the media. The guards took a good ten minutes to exfiltrate the politician and the CEO to their respective cars. Not a single detail of the discussion was leaked.

Three days later, around four in the morning, a car with tinted windows picked up Hohenhahn in front of his house for a unique opportunity.

Two months later, the striker was back in South Africa when a promotional video called “Adidas Stürmer”.

The video begins with a fade to black of Thomas Hohenhahn jogging on a gray morning on an athletics track in a black hoodie marked with the white Adidas logo. Everything was accompanied by this music.

An English voiceover (done by Travis Willingham) covered Thomas' voice.

“Schon als kleines Kind hatte ich alle Eigenschaften eines großartigen Stürmer.”

“When I was little, I already had all the traits of a great goalscorer.”

“Schnell“ - “Fast”

Images from his childhood were superimposed on extracts from matches highlighting the German striker with regard to the adjective in question. Here he outran the entire Cairo defense in a frantic race towards the ball and the goal.

"Stark” - "Strong" 

Same thing, with Hohenhahn's first Academy goal, where he headed five VFE defenders, including his current teammate Alex Calderon (@Amidships).

"Harter Arbeiter” - “Hard-Working"

The voice of the famous commentator @Metafiction resonates as the image moves from a video of Thomas doing his abs during his teenage years to another of Kaapstadt's last match against Montreal.

“Back pass to Dina Skovgaard (@RAmenAmen) , she is pressed by Hohenhahn. IT’S RECOVERED BY THE GERMAN who runs to the goal!

“Tödlich” - “Lethal”

The noise of the crowd falls silent for a moment, before starting up again.

“What a goal from the German who scores a lob from 25 meters on goalkeeper Williams (@Xotcin) after a winning press. FUORICLASSE!”

“Mürrisch” - “Agressive”

This time the voice of @omniscius is heard. “Penalty for Kaapstadt after this nasty foul on the German center forward who seems to have been injured by Hutchison Jr. (@Hepha) during this action.”

What follows is a compilation of goals from the same match, all scored by Thomas.

“Incredible”, “Fantastic”, “Hat-Trick !”, “Instoppable”...

“And it’s a QUINTUPLET for Hohenhahn. XXL performance from the German who walks on water this evening…”

The music and roars of the stadium fade away. A top-down shot is done of Hohenhahn, running on a country lane, showcasing his special edition “Adidas Stürmer” shoes in black, white and gold.

“Aber das ist meiner Region und denen zu verdanken, die mir beim Wachstum geholfen haben.”- 
“But that’s thanks to my region and those who helped me grow.”

Numerous photos of coaches, educators and former teammates follow one another. “

„Aus diesem Grund habe ich mich entschieden, bei Adidas zu unterschreiben, um 80 % meines Sponsoringvertrags während meiner gesamten Karriere für die Gründung der Hohenhahn Football Academy zu spenden. So können diejenigen, die mir unentgeltlich geholfen haben, ihr Geld erhalten und anderen jungen Talenten aus Niedersachsen helfen, die Stars von morgen zu werden.“ -

“This is why I decided to sign with Adidas in order to donate 80% of my sponsorship contract throughout my career to create the Hohenhahn Football Academy. So those who helped me for free will be able to get paid and help other young talents from Lower Saxony to become the stars of tomorrow.”

In this last sentence, we see Thomas from behind, from a low angle, with the outlines of a training center and football fields drawn in light. With a final note on a black background.

“Hohenhahn x Adidas”

APPROVED - The most well-informed and articulate bit of league name-dropping I've ever seen woven into a career task post. Magnificent.

[piza]

CPT#2

After being apart of a great Seoul Mythic team and completing a top 3 finish while also making the bench for the Minor League TOTS, Nikolai Ahmed is proud to have partnered with Swedish apparel company Tiger of Sweden. The two have combined together and released an all exclusive "jersey", with the crest being the letters NA (Nikolai Ahmed) in sharp bold font, and the front shirt sponsor being the logo of Tiger of Sweden. Yellow covers the jersey with a blue stripe that comes down along the right side and near the bottom of the jersey that goes horizontal. The kit includes white sleeves, the back of the kit just yellow with some streaks of dark blue. Nikolai Ahmed decided to partner up with Tiger of Sweden because the company was grown in Stockholm, the city in which he grew up in. Tiger of Sweden has offered Nikolai to fly from Seoul to Stockholm, where they will visit different academies and schools and give out jerseys to aspiring footballers. The company has also paired with Nikolai to set up a swedish youth academy, called "Svenska Talang Akademi", which translates to Swedish Talent Academy. The aim of the academy is to provide for young footballers who can't afford the current prices for high level academy training, and bring scouts to Sweden so the players who are good enough to find the professional level is getting the exposure they deserve. Another aim is to grow the popularity of football in Sweden to new heights. Each player is given their own Nikolai x Tiger of Sweden training set, with water bottles and bag included. If requested before hand, an arriving player can receive football boots if needed! Tiger of Sweden and Nikolai Ahmed are extremely proud to announce this partnership and hope that it can affect the direction of swedish football, giving themselves a future tactical identity and becoming a dominant country in global football!

APPROVED