Brands love advertising with the NFL because it is an amazing opportunity to market central brand messages of toughness, hard work, and teamwork in an exciting, popular, and entertaining package. Brands from Gatorade to Nike to Under Armor have built their marketing strategies on the backs of the NFL tough guy culture.
Remember this ad?
Our culture loves the hyper masculinity of football. In a world of shifting gender roles, we can always count on football to teach key masculine values: You must be tough, you must pay through pain, and you must win at all costs. These are the most marketable aspects of the NFL.
So many brands love to be associated with a league of tough guys, real men whose livelihood relies on the functionality of their bodies. They don’t sit at a desk or drive a bunch of kids to soccer practice– they go out and hit people, everyday.
In our glorification of these athletes as gladiators, as mere bodies that only exist for our entertainment — we have made them superhuman. These are no longer husbands, fathers, brothers, or uncles — These are athletes who’s only job is to go out and put their bodies on the line for our benefit. Oh, and they’re supposed to be thankful that we have given them the opportunity to do so.
But what are the costs?
Well, we know the costs of multiple head traumas, and it leads to lifelong depression, constant headaches, memory loss and a loss of cognitive function. But the tough guy culture of the NFL outweighs these risks. In fact, missing a game can cause your teamates to question your very dedication to the football:
It is easy to put this blame on the NFL, or the NFL players assocation. But what about the brands who have painted the NFL story? What about the Under Armors, Nikes and Gatorades of the world who encourage playing through pain, and market every NFL game as a war like battle of epic proportions? Should they take some responsibility?
I’m not saying that advertising and marketing is solely responsible for the NFL’s concussion problem, but I think it definitely played a part in creating the hyper-masculine culture that actively encourages players to give themselves life long injuries.
Do you agree?
