The recent advertisement featuring the Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso has generated divided opinions. On the one hand, there are those who think it is a stroke of genius, and on the other, those who think it is unworthy of one of the most important sportsmen in the world. A priori, in PROA Communication We would have advised our client athletes not to participate in a campaign of such an appallingly low level. But like so many other things in life, things are often neither good nor bad, but appropriate or inappropriate depending on their context. I will now argue why, in this particular case, we do see the Asturian driver's participation in this surrealistic marketing action as positive.
In the campaign of the telecommunications company Finetwork, Fernando Alonso becomes the protagonist of the promotion of its new tariff for this summer, valued at 33 euros per month. The choice of the number 33 is not accidentalbut rather a nod to the viral phenomenon sweeping the social networks about the possible 33rd victory for the two-time world champion. The presence in the advertisement of the football player Joaquín and the influencer Marta Díaz The fresh and casual profile of the advert is rounded off by the fact that it is a fresh and casual advert.
As digital marketing expert Isidro Vaño y Trénor comments, this is a magnificent example of shitposting.. There is no pretence of winning a Lion at the Cannes Film Festival, but rather of jumping on the bandwagon of a phenomenon that Fernando Alonso himself has shown on his social networks to be tremendously effective. It is very curious to see, ashe most veteran driver on the grid, has understood better than anyone how to connect with the younger audience. and passionate about Formula 1. His 'padreadas', as they are defined by his enthusiastic followers, are continuous and exude naturalness and a great sense of humour. And this is the context that turns an a priori negative action into a positive one in terms of image. And let's not forget that this public profile is also the fishing ground where a company like Finetwork can fish for customers in an environment as saturated as that of telecommunications.
Formula 1 as a sport is experiencing an explosion in its following, but its most relevant phenomenon is the massive incorporation of a sector between 18 and 26 years of age. which traditionally has always resisted it. There are several factors that explain this new trend, such as the the Netflix documentary 'Drive to Survive'.but fundamentally it is the opening of audiovisual content. Unlike in the past, young people today can give free rein to their creativity and passion, creating content and doing all kinds of mischief. This is where Fernando Alonso has burst onto the scene and knows how to interact and follow the graces better than any other driver.
It is also influenced by the fact that the Fernando Alonso we are seeing today has nothing to do with the rough image he sometimes conveyed in the past. Whether it is because of his maturity or because he is happy to feel competitive again, he is seen as a person who constantly transmits joy and good vibes. In this sense, the advert fits right into this 'new Fernando'. His jokes and his way of acting are absolutely credible as they are in line with what his millions of fans around the world see on a daily basis.
The advert is full of self-parodying nods, such as the chair that once made him famous for sunbathing on a racetrack. And the finishing touch, so that everyone is clear about the deliberately 'trashy' intention of the advert, is the appearance of Joaquín and Marta Díaz from the floor of a beach. And that is precisely where the fun lies. Think, for example, of the 'Sharknado' film franchise. It's hard to find a greater sum of nonsense and absurdity surrounding killer sharks, but the films are so over-the-top and premeditatedly bad that they achieve the opposite effect. They are considered cool, to the point that many celebrities are amused to make cameos and be part of the surreal party.
Like it or not, because there are always opinions to suit all tastes, what is an indisputable fact is that the numbers of the campaign carried out by the PS21 agency are beginning to be overwhelming. It will be interesting to know the final repercussion data, but the impact achieved in just a few days is spectacular. Here the big question always arises: the visibility is impressive, but does this add or subtract to Fernando's image, to that of his Aston Martin team and to that of the other associated sponsors? The answer in principle is yes. The nuance is that as long as we are talking about an isolated action. If the 'cuteness' becomes routine, the surprise effect disappears and you turn the low level into a pattern, rather than a clever resource.
At Aston Martin, as at Ferrari and any premium brand, they are very rigorous about the level of advertising that their sponsors do. They are well aware that a low-level action associated with their name does damage to their image and that of the other associated brands. A one-off action does not harm Richard Mille super-luxury watches or Peroni beer, because the context of the campaign can be understood as a wink from Fernando to that image of closeness that he projects with his followers. Abusing it in the future will do so and will end up backfiring on the sponsoring brand and the rider's image.
It is not a question of Fernando Alonso losing his freshness in the future, but it will be necessary to turn things around and not insist on the same thing. As the saying goes, too little pleases and too much is fattening.
*Pablo de Villota is responsible for Sports Sponsorship Management at PROA Comunicación