IS IT JUST ME, OR ARE THERE MORE NEAR NAKED MALE FOOTBALLERS IN ADS THESE DAYS?

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?

This probably tells us a few things like:
(1) The terms “men” and “naked” are popular search terms online (and I think sex related terms are the top search topics overall consistently). Sex interests people, and so that gets traffic to the site.

(2) People are interested in naked men and like looking at them and so that probably explains while more naked and shirtless men appear in adverts, as they have stopping power.

(3) Men are now very much fair game to be treated as sex objects to sell things

But, one thing that also struck me recently is that there seems to be a growing trend that is increasingly bringing together the world of football heroes and designer underwear. 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 now we hear that Ronaldo(who we often see in the tabloid press in small shorts and swim trunks) will replace David in 2010 as Beckham expands into his own briefs... By which I mean he is launching his own line.

Sports men and briefs seem to be good partners as even Bjorn Borg (the multiple Wimbledon winner) his own line.

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.

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?


Who cares some may say, as:

(1) they certainly do stand out and get noticed. My lasting impression of the American Academy of Dermatology congress in San Francisco in 2009 was not the subtle 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 display his ball tactics.

(2) they stand out from the sea of muscled and toned men now 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.

OK, enough of my cheesy double entente posting for one day.

I still ask: are there more naked men in ads than ever? There certainly are more near naked footballers!

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.

See the story on YouTube: click here

Or watch on the blog posting