Is it just me but are there footballers shirtless or in underwear everywhere in ads? So, what does it mean?

I thought it was time to do an update on the popular topic of shirtless and semi-naked men and footballers in advertising!


Why? Well for one reason the topic is still one of the most visited and read, which is quite interesting when you consider all the other riveting articles and thoughts about marketing on this blog...


The most read article on my blog online (rather than read by people who get email alerts with the articles in) by far is the one titled: Is it just me, or are there more naked men in ads these days?


Men are now very much fair game to be treated as sex objects to sell things. It used to be that women were used and felt exploited, but there is much greater use of men - a cultural change? I have created a Board collects ads that use men as sex objects in ads on Pinterest (and so here is also the content that those that came to the blog looking for something other than marketing and communication tips!)


However, there are some key marketing principles we can learn when it comes to marketing and advertising:

• Attracting a lot of audience? The terms “men”, “naked”, "shirtless", "footballers" linked together are popular search terms online (and sex related terms are still right up there in the top search topics overall consistently). Sex interests people, and so that gets traffic to the site - but it begs the question if you use sex to sell you may attract a larger amount of traffic and audience - but is it going to attract your core target? It stops and attracts people, but you need to attract the right target - not just a large volume of traffic. People coming to the site through those terms may be large in volume - but the content and message they are seeking is not what this blog is "selling" - and so time spent and loyalty is low. Volume of traffic is not everything in marketing - it is about using tools to attract the right target.
• Stopping power in any communication is the key first step? Semi naked footballers, especially celebrity ones, will stop people of all ages and sexes when they come across them. One of the first key steps in any successful communication is getting people to stop and take notice of what you are trying to say or sell. There is so much noise out there, you need to get people to stop and lean forward to see what you have to say. Shirtless men do that and are popular, so that likely explains while more naked and shirtless men appear in adverts, as they have stopping power - especially when well known footballers. 
• Is stopping people and getting them to take notice enough though? You then need a relevant and compelling message. It is easy to use tricks like footballers in underwear or shirtless to attract an audience and get people to stop and tale notice, but unless you are selling underwear is it valuable? You need to have a message that is relevant and linked, so if you selling underwear and the inspiration and recommendation that they are worn by football stars then that likely is. If you are trying to communicate marketing tips and advice it probably is not. Those seeking to look at footballers shirtless will not have got this far in the post for example.

Why are footballers increasingly going shirtless and in underwear in ads?


Footballers are happy to embrace the trend by stripping off (excuse the pun) and using their talent and talents to sell underwear. It seems to be a growing trend that is increasingly bringing together the world of football heroes and designer underwear. In fact, almost compulsory? I assume it is very attractive financially for both them and the brands they advertise.


In fact it is becoming so common, it almost looks like it is part of the career path of a successful footballer!


First Fredrik Ljungberg for Calvin Klein, then David Beckham with Armani, and then  Ronaldo replaced David in 2010 as Beckham expands into his own line of briefs for H&M. As a side event to the 2010 Soccer World Cup, D & G launched a range of underwear using members of the Italian Football team The range is called CALCIO, which someone told me is Italian for football - and so looks like the perfect marriage.


Usually the brands also made videos of the making of the ad, that have been posted on YouTube and have been circulated virally extensively. You can watch example of the  sort of video towards the end of the blog posting.


But who are they targeting?


I wonder if the main target are men wanting some of the sport champion winning power to wear off on them. Or for women to buy them hoping the more athletic and virile sport star will project onto their man. I wrote a blog about that in relation to that topic based on the Ronaldo/ Armani


Either way it is an interesting trend. Is success on the football field going to be measured by how fast you can get an underwear contract?


(1) They certainly do stand out and get noticed. My lasting impression still of the American Academy of Dermatology congress in San Francisco in 2009 was not the subtle but relevant Aveeno posters plaster on bus shelters announcing it was the natural brand dermatologists recognised, or the facial filler brand whose name I forget, but the zillions of David Beckham posters twice life size lying around everywhere you turned.


(2) They stand out from the sea of anonymous toned men appearing not only on underwear but many other items. Having a naked/ near naked man no longer is enough as so many now seem to be doing it, you need people to remember who you are - and associating a football star very publically helps with that. Especially as it seems that almost none of the ads talk about benefits and features of the product, just the look. So it is all about brand recognition and aspiration.


100 Professional Footballers in underwear ad prove my point:


And if to prove the point that being an underwear model is the career of choice of footballers (or that they are good at selling underwear), the Belgian designer and reported football fan Dirk Bikkemberg had 100 professional footballers pose in underwear in a sort of art installation to launch his new range.

Dolce&Gabbana Italian Footballers and Calcio Underwear
In their words: "have more on Calcio and our five favourite Italian footballers: Antonio Di Natale, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Claudio Marchisio, Federico Marchetti and Domenico Criscito. We have followed every movement of these sculptured bodies and captured tantalizing hints of well-groomed flesh while they were following Mariano Vivancos instructions. Sexy, attractive, the Calcio Dolce & Gabbana man will surely survive the World Cup"

Read More: Just who are they targeting with thsoe Ronaldo/ Aramani ads?

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