Boxing - A sponsorship blunder

Pistachios - those annoying little nuts that taste so good but which are bitch to open.  A reasonable fit with boxing?  Maybe.  Nonetheless, I was bemused by the news that US brand Wonderful Pistachios had decided to sponsor the epic fourth encounter between Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday.  Not to be outdone, the brand also layered in an endorsement deal with Pacquiao.

In a number of press releases, Wonderful's marketing team crapped on about how the fighters were the "epitome of physical health" while the nuts themselves were an "excellent snack choice for competitors and fans alike."  It was all true but as a marketing angle almost complete Bull&^!t!

Take a look at the following ad featuring the Pacman whch premiered during Monday Night Football last week:

All the ad really says is "we're the proud sponsors of one of boxing's greatest competitors" or perhaps "we like Manny!"  As we shall see, the ad has a shelf life no longer than your average banana.

Indeed, all looked fine until fight night.  Despite knocking down Marquez and leading on points, the Pacman literally blundered into a devastating right late in the sixth.  A second later, sound asleep on the canvas and his sponsor's logo emblazoned across the back of his trunks, it all looked like a sick joke.  In fact the slogan "Get Crackin'" suddenly sounded rather ironic.

What could Wonderful Pistachios have done?

• Gotten behind the fight instead of the fighter - 

• Full contact martial arts have a nasty tendency to be rather unpredictable - why put your brand in the possible firing line of a career-ending punch?

• Cash in on the elephant in the room

• This was the fourth encounter between Marquez and Pacquiao, a rivalry which some have called the greatest sporting rivalry of the last 3 decades.  The first 3 bouts were controversial to say the least - almost everyone with even a modest interest in boxing had an opinion about how the fourth would go.  Many believed that nothing short of a knockout would resolve the tension once and for all - but no-one was agreed on just who would send who to the canvas.  Wonderful Pistachios could have fueled (even owned) this conversation.  Corny as it may sound, there's a rich common ground between nut cracking and skull cracking.  

Just take a look at the next video - it literally drips with anticipation and provides the perfect backdrop for any brand wanting to champion the fan experience - in this case the debate and the intrigue around the match's outcome.

And here's how it went down on Saturday night (unfortunately):

I'd say plenty of brand building opportunities went a begging...!