Logos truly seem to be everywhere. (In this little experiment, we couldn’t make it to noon without seeing 100+.) And, of course, logos are no stranger to sporting events. So it was probably only a matter of time before they started sponsoring actual moments on the court or field – like scoring a goal.
This past Saturday, fans at the match between FC Barcelona and Villarreal were flashed Intel Corp’s “Intel Inside” logo that was displayed on the inside of Barca’s jerseys when players lifted their shirts after scoring a goal. Under a new sponsorship deal, along with the logo placement, Intel will be the team’s official technology parter. Intel’s vice president of sponsorships reports this type of logo placement is the first of its kind.
According to Reuters, Intel’s chief marketing officer, Deborah Conrad, said that the company was looking for a way to connect with consumers by tapping into “passion points.” The soccer club, she acknowledges, has one of the most active social media communities in sports and millions of fans around the world.
The players will not have to show the logo, but it’s more than likely they will, given the tradition. “We did not want to put the players under any obligation to show the logo a specific number of times, but we do know that such goal celebrations are a big part of the culture of the sport,” Conrad said.
The club and Intel have declined to say how much the deal is worth, but it’s reported that Intel will pay $25 million over five years for the sponsorship.
Photo credit: Intel Corp.
