When Mo Salah scored, sealing Liverpool FC’s Premier League name, he grabbed a Google Pixel and took a selfie with lovers. We quickly discovered it used to be an advert for the telephone. Sid Lee Sports’ Jack Kenney-Herbert explores whether or not the conclusion diminishes the instant.
Mo Salah’s beaming ‘Kop selfie’ on Sunday has been arduous to omit if you have an interest in sports activities or social media. Early rumours steered the telephone were passed to him by way of a jubilant fan; alternatively, those have been hastily debunked as soon as the software used to be recognized as a Google Pixel – Liverpool’s legit cell phone spouse.
Social media spiralled into conspiracy theories sooner than it used to be published that, sure, Liverpool personnel orchestrated the instant on behalf of the spouse. Undoubtedly a PR triumph, the tale has been unusually nicely coated by way of conventional sports activities media, with even the BBC penning an editorial. Clearly, it’s a sensible, reactive sponsorship activation, pre-planned by way of Liverpool and Google Pixel.
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The effects talk for themselves. The stunt surely produced really extensive AVE figures, which could have extremely joyful Google Pixel, possibly touching seven figures, along the wider succeed in of protection.
The stunt has since sparked fervent debate on RelatedIn with trade execs wading in with their twopence. An oft-discussed level is whether or not lovers outdoor of the sports activities trade even discovered whether or not it used to be a Google Pixel software, and due to this fact, did the activation have any actual price?
Ironically, it’s the ones so keen to show the selfie used to be a stunt that drove the additional price – media retailers did Google’s affiliation and consciousness paintings with a swathe of ‘truth behind the selfie’ articles, mentioning the partnership with Liverpool and the handset in query.
You would possibly surprise, alternatively, if the response has been moderately superfluous.
Already broadly touted as ‘iconic’, weren’t we offered to iconic selfies by way of Ellen DeGeneres on the 2014 Oscars? And extra lately, weren’t the Paris Olympics flooded by way of Samsung-powered ‘podium selfies’? In truth, Virgil van Dijk has already carried out a identical stunt when he used to be passed a telephone by way of Liverpool personnel sooner than leaping into the group after scoring a last-minute winner.
Given the context, it’s possible you’ll argue the picture lacks authenticity, but that is not likely to hassle the partnerships groups at Google Pixel and Liverpool.
Google Pixel is without doubt one of the leaders relating to efficient sponsorship activation in UK sports activities – the content material it creates with companions is peerless relating to product integration. This symbol sits as every other piece of a a success marketing campaign with Liverpool – the cherry on best as Liverpool celebrated their name win.
In quick, a well-executed piece of sports activities advertising – completely. But an iconic symbol for the ages – more than likely no longer.
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