New Beckham Spot Sparking American ‘Futbol’?
I am an American, therefore, I am not supposed to have any affection or affinity for soccer, right? The MLS and David Beckham are looking to change this old rule. For decades, Americans have refused to watch or support professional soccer. Even when Pele (arguably the best soccer player of all time) was playing here in New York, the league crumbled.
So why now do MLS officials and team owners believe Beckham is the answer? In a poll conducted on ESPN.com last week, when asked what respondents thought about Beckham’s new American presence, majority of the respondents replied with the “I don’t care” option. So how is MLS, the LA Galaxy, or David Beckham going to captivate an audience of loyal NFL fans? Marketing and media seem to be their first move.
On Saturday, Beckham will make his debut with the LA Galaxy in an exhibition match against the English club soccer team Chelsea. The game is already sold out and is set to air nationally on ESPN. Over the past few seasons, ESPN has taken a lot of interest in the MLS - and even more so now with the introduction of Beckham. The popularity of ESPN among this nation’s sports fans may give the MLS the push it needs to become a major sport here in America - especially when coupled with buzz from various entertainment programs. Even his wife, Victoria Beckham (aka Posh Spice), has been in the news and actually was featured on an hour-long program last night on NBC during primetime.
I saw the following commercial over the weekend, and like most ESPN commercials, I thought it was pretty creative. I have a lot of respect for TV spots when they don’t use copy and still make an impact. Other notable ads that have achieved this are the iPod ads. They only need audio to convey a positive and intriguing message. After seeing this spot once, I made a note to tune into the game this Saturday (at 5:30pm on ESPN).
Even though the game looks like it will be a blow-out, I really hope it sparks a soccer craze here in the states. I have yet to jump on the MLS bandwagon, however, hopefully with the new ESPN push and Beckham’s star power I will eventually be converted. I’m not sure whether more people are attending/tuning in to the exhibition match this weekend because of Chelsea’s prestige or Beckham’s arrival. I’m not sure if Beckham can save the MLS alone - even if he is adored and followed by the media. However, I am sure I’m going to try my best to follow Beckham and the MLS to (if nothing else) critique the methods used to promote this ’soon-to-be resurrected’ league.
