Soccer is becoming commercialized. We all know this. But Manchester United really do take it to another level with some absolutely ridiculous sponsorships. Here are three of the best.
Mr. Potato — The Official Savory Snack Partner
So, despite the irony of an athletics team being sponsored by a savory snack, it's not the first of its kind in history. Leicester was sponsored by Walkers crisps after all. But what makes this a ridiculous sponsorship are the videos below. The first commercial is so bad, it's a wonder that Manchester United approved this partnership in the first place.
The music video has better production values, but the premise is baffling. Just fans wandering around half-drunk, players lip-synching like robots, and an honestly quite awful song (That was the longest three minutes and 55 seconds we've ever endured). But the weirdest part is the Mr.Potato figure planted throughout the video like this is set in some weird, dystopian future, where a ruthless, tyrannical potatophile has enslaved the earth.
Nissin - The Official Noodle Partner
O.K. We really, really wanted to rip this one to shreds. It's a global noodle partnership for f**** sake. But the reality is...this is pretty awesome. No matter how much of a ridiculous sponsorship this is, the commercial redeems it. Well played Nissin. You fed us through college, and now you're creating awesome videos. Is there anything you can't do?
Casillero Del Diablo - The Official Wine Partner
The jury is out on this one. On the one hand, it seems like the wine is pretty decent. Alcohol sponsorships are also pretty commonplace for teams, so no problem there. It's just kind of strange.
For one, soccer is a beer sport. Pints and pies. Carling, Heineken, Carlsberg, and so on. A wine sponsorship just makes United seem more pretentious than people already think it is. Are people really going to sip on a cabernet in the stands? No, seriously, we really want to know.
Secondly, the commercial makes absolutely no sense. Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Patrice Evra are in a room. It sounds like a lead-in to a joke. It even has that uncomfortable silence that accompanies a failed punchline.
There's nothing wrong with a good merlot, and it's not exactly a ridiculous sponsorship (at least not as much as the previous two), but the whole thing just feels surreal and just a little out of place. We'll let you be the judge.
Sooo...no Oscar for Wazza then? Photo: @HistoricalPics | Twitter
