Marketing Favre: Minnesota via Madison Avenue

Many football nerds who live and die with the Vikings couldn’t wait to apply a fresh coat of purple face paint when Brett Favre unretired again, and even casual fans seem to have a rooting interest in whatever happens next. Love him or leave him, Brett Favre has always been a marketable commodity. This ESPN spot by Weiden + Kennedy spoofs the network’s own reporting of the long-lingering story.

 

ESPN had seen to it nationally that every rumored development regarding Favre’s difficult and publicly private decision was reported (and many, later, corrected), but the media volume was louder yet here in Minnesota as we waited for our purple #4 jerseys. From here we could also hear considerable murmuring from our green-and-gold-clad neighbors in Wisconsin (where they’re printing their own shirts saying, “We’ll never forget you, Brent” – always loved that one).

According to AdWeek, the F-word was mentioned 452 times on Minnesota TV between August 18-19, and 650,000 Minnesotans watched Farvre’s rusty preseason debut – up from 240,000 the week before. People will come.

As a fan of self-mockery (prerequisite for Nerdery dwellers), I’m pleased to see Favre’s commercial for Sears (created by Young & Rubicam) because it’s solid evidence that #4 sees a healthy dose of humor in his on-again/off-again waffling route to Minnesota.

While marketers are delighted with Favre’s (in)decision, fans here in the Nerdery state and in nearby Dairyland have either strong feelings one way or the other, or, the foundation of their allegiance is so deeply shaken that they don’t quite know how to feel. I personally feel like finally winning a Super Bowl, but for now I’ll settle for an otherwise meaningless preseason victory this evening at 7 Central time on ESPN. Are you ready 4 some football?