Why Gucci Loves Football 😍
Why Sport Loves Las Vegas, Ricciardo's Glass Shoe and Maradona's €5m Shirt
Footballers and fashion have an interesting past…
Not only did Ronaldo dare to go outside in that monstrosity… he even posed for pictures!!
Now it appears that the fashion world has finally forgiven these crimes and decided to bring footballers back into the fold.
Gucci, the legendary Italian fashion house, is reportedly set to unveil England and Man City footballer Jack Grealish as its latest brand ambassador.
This is a unique moment in fashion history, with the big fashion companies usually preferring to align their brands with recording artists or Hollywood actors instead of footballers.
While Jack Grealish, a 26-year old guy from Birmingham, was not who we imagined would unite the worlds of fashion and football it is still a big moment for both industries.
Grealish is set to be handed a six-figure contract to wear Gucci products in campaigns, on social media and pretty much anytime he isn’t in his Man City shirt.
So, why is high fashion in love with football?
Football has become a far more fashionable sport in recent years. PSG has shown pieces at Paris Fashion Week and kit makers like Nike and Adidas are starting to consider a shirts ‘fashion’ to be almost as important as its function.
Celebrities from across the world have begun incorporating football shirts (old and new) into their wardrobes and fashion brands Balenciaga and Zara have both released lines inspired by football.
Footballers have also been doing their part. The rise of social media has allowed them to create personal brands and fashion has been a great way for these players to build a sense of individual personality outside of their role in football.
Even before his deal with Gucci, Grealish has been a loyal customer of the Italian brand and his penchant for fashion has helped him create a huge global audience.
Grealish and his fellow footballers are also incredibly popular with younger demographics, a market where the likes of Gucci are always looking to increase their presence.
This younger audience is also starting to get more interested in high fashion. Online sales in the luxury market nearly doubled in 2020, rising from 12% in 2019 to 23% in 2020. Younger demographics drove a lot of this growth.
In many ways, a partnership between Jack Grealish and Gucci makes a lot of sense. He gets free fashion to build his audience and Gucci gets access to his huge global brand… Win-Win!
🗞 Story of the Week
Why Sport Loves Las Vegas ♠️♥️
Location plays a huge role in our enjoyment of certain things. Baguettes are simply better in Paris, Beer has more flavour in Bavaria, and blowing your life savings is way more enjoyable in Las Vegas!
The same is true for live sports. The Olympic opening ceremony is hosted in exciting places like Beijing or Rio - as opposed to the rather dreary British town of Slough - because people would rather see a spectacular dance routine set to the backdrop of the hills of Rio than to witness Foregone Conclusion perform in a car park.
With the rise of broadcasting and social media, visuals - and as a consequence location - have become important tools that help to sell sports.
This is where Las Vegas comes in. Sin City has a reputation for glamour, extravagance, and fun which attracts millions of tourists from across the globe. Major sports have realised that organising events in Las Vegas instantly boosts their overall brand image.
How do you make Formula 1 more exciting? Have Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen driving 200mph down the Las Vegas Strip.
Adding a Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2023 is just one example of a long line of sports events that are now making Las Vegas their home.
In 2020, NFL team The Raiders moved from California to a new stadium in Las Vegas. The strip is also home to teams from the WNBA and NHL.
The future also looks bright. Aside from the F1 race, Las Vegas is rumoured to be the preferred location for a new MLS team and there are plans to build a state of the art sports complex, including a 20,000-seat arena, hotel, and casino, that will allegedly turn Las Vegas into the “sports capital of the world.”
There is already some evidence that betting on Vegas is paying off for these sports.
Formula 1 is tipped to increase its broadcasting revenues dramatically over the next few years thanks to exciting additions to the calendar such as Las Vegas.
While no one knows what the future truly holds, one thing is for sure…sport has gone all-in on Vegas!
😎 Retro Deal of the Week
Maradona Shirt up for €5 million
When Maradona scored his infamous ‘hand of god’ goal against England at the 1986 Mexico World Cup, he broke the hearts of millions of English fans.
Ever since that day, the players of the English national team have religiously kept up the tradition of devastating their nation at every international tournament - what a beautiful tribute to Maradona!
Now anyone else hoping to pay homage to the late great Diego Maradona will be able to bid for the shirt he was wearing during that match at an auction set to commence on April 20th.
The auction has generated a huge buzz thanks to the history associated with the shirt. Maradona was wearing it when he scored two of the most incredible goals in football history. The first with his hand and the second when he magically dribbled past the entire England team to score what is now considered ‘the goal of the century.’
The dark blue Argentina shirt came into the possession of England Midfielder Steve Hodge when Maradona swapped shirts with him after the game. Hodge originally had no plans to sell the shirt and has been loaning it to England’s National Football Museum for the past 20 years.
The market for sports memorabilia has been on a rapid rise in recent years. The current record for a jersey was set in 2019 when a New York Yankees jersey worn by Babe Ruth sold for $5.64m (€5m) at auction.
With Maradona’s famous shirt estimated to sell for close to the record amount, it is possible that Maradona will have one more incredible victory left.
📱 Social Media Madness of the Week
Daniel Ricciardo wants you to Drink from his Shoe 🍾
If you offer someone your sweaty shoe filled with Champagne you will probably have to spend a few nights under observation…that is unless your name is Daniel Ricciardo!
The Aussie racer has become world-famous thanks to his hilarious hijinks and unique personality. One of the moments that shot him into global fame occurred when he drank champagne out of his sweaty race shoe on the Formula 1 podium.
These ‘Shoeys’ are so popular that Ricciardo is now offering you the chance to recreate the experience within the comfort of your own home.
Yes, Ricciardo has launched a shoe-shaped wine decanter that is an exact replica of his race shoe. Anyone looking to get their lips around this unique item will need to act fast, with the $700 decanters only being released in a limited run.
Just imagine the scenes at your sophisticated dinner party when you whip out the Shoey and down an entire bottle of wine in front of your shocked and disturbed guests!
To learn more about the power of Brand Ricciardo, watch our latest video below!
🎬 Video of the Week
The Double Life of Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo is the third most followed driver on the F1 grid. This is despite the fact that the Australian has not challenged for the title in a number of years.
Ricciardo was also the stand-out star of Netflix’s Drive to Survive documentary and has appeared on a number of U.S. talk shows to promote the series.
Why on earth is Ricciardo enjoying a level of fame that is usually reserved for World Champions?
The answer…He is a honey badger!
In this week’s video, we do a deep dive into what makes Daniel Ricciardo’s personality so infectious and explain how he has used that to create a successful business career outside of F1.