Advance planning is laudible in most instances, especially in the field of marketing, where the opportunity to strike fast to exploit a potentially lucrative situation is greatly enhanced if one has had the foresight to put in place prior publicity material to plug one’s achievements.
So when one of the main sponsors of the English rugby team, Nike, saw that the team was one victory away from winning the Grand Slam, and that all that stood in its way was an aging underperforming Irish side which had incurred the wrath of every referee it had encountered this season, it clearly saw the opportunity to sell some commemorative Grand Slam kit on the backs of that imminent success.
It, therefore, commissioned a TV advert featuring several members of the English team in various heroic poses and proudly trumpeting the legend “England: Grand Slam Champions 2011.”
Sadly, when the English Chariot parked itself in Dublin, it found that someone had removed its wheels and stuck it up on blocks. Not the first visitors to the Irish capital to suffer this fate!
So, of course, the ad had to be scrapped.
But alas, some clown in the publicity supply chain had earlier been a little cavalier with their e-mail account and had sent around a message, with the ad attached, referring to the campaign that would take place “when we’ve beaten Ireland.”
Inevitably, it ended up on You Tube, whence it has been removed on the instructions of a red-faced sports-equipment manufacturer, but where it continues to turn up like a particularly contagious rash.
Oh the embarrassment!
In the wake of England’s comprehensive defeat last Saturday, its ultracompetive manager Martin Johnson urged his players to “Wear this defeat like a scar”. I shudder to think what welts and bruises are being worn by whoever was responsible for letting that howler into the public domain.
Love it!
jeremy
Guest
The Jonah Lomu 'impossible is nothing' spot wasn't as much about his comeback but about Lomu overcoming incredible odds just to get walking / running again post kidney failure.
jeremy
Guest
Adidas tend to keep away from predicting outcomes - their TVCs are far more aspirational / humorous and look at the people rather than the team. See 'Last Man Standing', 'Impossible is nothing' and the most recent '___ is all in ' on Youtube. I'm mystified as to why they haven't done more with the Australian cricket team - we've seen the aspirational stuff from Powerade and Johnnie Walker, so why not talk about the roots and the heritage of the baggy green in the same way that Adidas did with Impossible is Nothing...? Classic example of this style (Dan Carter and his dad): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD_2Y0nJALI - lends perfectly to a grassroots style campaign about back yard cricket etc.
Intotouch
Guest
I didn't think that the ad itself was so awful. Like they say it was to be on time if they one. What was awful was the letter from the executive about the shirts to be presented to the England team "when we win against Ireland on Saturday". Like the match was nothing but a formality to get over! http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2011/0323/1224292847989.html
Steve James
Guest
Great bit of viral marketing by Nike. They have received far more coverage through this than if the england union team had won the 6 nations grand slam.
soapit
Guest
the campaign was a fair bit bigger than this one ad with tube stations apparantly planned to be inundated with poster ads. i reckon the queen was halfway through cutting out another round of mbe's when she saw the result. dont be surprised if theres a few being given away in gift bags at the wedding
el gamba
Guest
There's contingenicy planning and then there is a complete waste of money. Surely Adidas have an adequate risk management plan and put their money into Jonah's All Black comeback or something a little more likely to occur.
Nambucco Deliria
Guest
I wonder if Adidas have got a similar Australia - ODI World Cup Champions made that'll never be shown?
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
Meh, Lots of good TVC's are made "just in case" and never air. Do you really think that they can magically put it together in time to screen straight after the event? TVC's take weeks or even months to put together. The only difference here is someone either breached their contract or stole the the vision to release it into the wild. I guess you might b esurprised to hear that not everything that gets filmed makes it into a movie too.
Derm
Roar Guru
True. Apparently, the Nike ad has been "fixed". See here. http://www.youtube.com/comment_servlet?all_comments=1&v=zB5eu0EwK34
Colin N
Guest
"and that all that stood in its way was an aging underperforming Irish side which had incurred the wrath of every referee it had encountered this season." Well, when Bryce Lawrence was named the referee, Nike should have seen the writing on the wall!
Dublin Dave
Roar Rookie
Sometimes you gotta love it when a plan DOESN'T come together! :)