Thursday, October 29, 2009

Another Shade of Pink: Brand Awareness for Breast Cancer


I couldn't let the month of October come to a close without addressing the other meaning of pink in the NFL: players and officials wearing various shades of pink to support breast cancer awareness and research. Wearing pink for the sake of "looking cute" brings out the snarky side of me, but you'll never hear me mocking anyone for dressing in pink-colored NFL gear to support the cure for breast cancer. (Although I do wish more money would go directly to research instead of marketing efforts, but that's a subject for another day.)

I consider myself a creative person at heart and I make my living through branding and marketing, so it's not surprising that I notice subtle nuances in the color pink. When I first saw that players and referees decked out in the official color of breast cancer awareness, my first thought was that it was a great way to spark dialogue in the homes of ordinary Americans about breast cancer prevention. My next thought, put forth by the relentless Debbie Downer in me, was that I think there's a missed opportunity.

Check out these hot magenta-colored sweatbands, which by now you've probably seen on most of the NFL referees and football players in the league. The color is bold and playful, immediately drawing your eyes toward it (especially when contrasted with the drab hues of most team uniforms). However, there is other NFL gear that ranges from dark pink to gradated pink to to baby pink, which I find a little bit confusing and inconsistent. I was surprised that the NFL's heavily-funded, usually very savvy marketing department didn't better coordinate with its vendors (Reebok, etc) to precisely nail down the exact shade each piece in the campaign should adapt. (We marketing people are crazy like that.)

Bubblegum pink shoes and magenta sweatbands

Magenta sweatbands and light pink gloves

Three different hues of pink

Pale pink unlike any other color in the palette


Now to you left-brained people, I know what you must be thinking: Who really gives a rat's ass when the main priority is to raise awareness about the second leading cause of death in women? And you would be absolutely correct, because that is the overarching goal and I already consider the campaign to be an immense success. However, there is a lot to be said for staking your claim on a uniquely vibrant color that immediately evokes feelings of familiarity, trust and brand awareness ... no?


Just as "Tiffany blue" is synonymous with classic taste, elegance and tradition, "breast cancer pink" could become instantly recognizable as the color for a cure. Because let's face it, sometimes when you see different shades of pink (especially outside the realm of the NFL) you can't really be sure if the person thought it went with their outfit that day OR if they're advocating for a breast cancer cure. A consistent hue would leave no question about it.

There have been dozens of focus groups which have found that, as minor as they may seem, subtle differences in color make a lasting impression in the mind of the consumer. Google has spent thousands of dollars and countless hours researching precisely which out of 40 different shades of blue its users preferred (and, not coincidentally, the one that makes them subconsciously want to purchase more goods online). As any Marketing 101 class will tell you, the human mind can readily associate specific colors with notable images or social causes, especially if they are used consistently. (The Orange Revolution, anyone?) And greater awareness means, hopefully, greater donations to fund research for the cure with less ambiguity about the cause.

So two thumbs up to the NFL, which deserves all the praise it has garnered for bringing greater attention to the vitally important issue of breast cancer. Now let's make it easier for everyone to identify with the brand and the cause by centering the campaign around a consistent, fabulous shade of pink.

(I'm partial to the hot magenta, myself.)

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Unthink Pink

Before I begin, I do have to fully disclose that I own one item of pink-colored athletic apparel that my now-husband bought me to secure my attendance at the Bears vs. Packers game on New Year's Eve 2007. It obviously worked.


Indeed, my dear husband fell prey to the gods of NFL marketing, whose mantra is, "Make it pink, slap a team logo on it, and brace yourself for the hordes of women who will flock to your store (or Web site) to buy buy buy." Or, I guess in his case, guys who are trying to cultivate their girlfriend's interest in sports to make her feel like she's "part of the team" so she doesn't want to leave the tailgate before the game even starts.

As hypocritical as it may be of me to make fun of pink NFL gear right now, let's take a look at the best of the worst, shall we? (Please note this excludes breast cancer awareness attire, which I think is an excellent cause.)


When would you even wear this? Pink not only completely clashes with the Eagles colors of midnight green, silver and white, but it also is inappropriate for just about every winter holiday -Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza and the like. Epic design fail here, folks.

Now I understand where the practice of bra burning came about ... and by golly do I wish they would have thrown this little number in the pile. Not only is the cut completely unflattering, but again, the tie-dyed color combination (or should we say, trifecta of pink doom) is solid proof that hippies and sports just don't mix.


Now let's get serious: What self-respecting woman would wear this watch? Yet another reason to be thankful that wristwatches are being phased out as cell phones take their place as this generation's preferred time piece. Let's just all cross our fingers they won't come out with pink team cases for phones.

Oh wait...
Sigh.


And here we have powder pink beverage coozies, in which I can pretty much guarantee no decent beer ever rests. They bring back memories of the pink bubble gum flavor I'd put into the medicine of the kids in my summer camp cabin so they wouldn't notice exactly what they were choking down. But in this case, I'd imagine these babies get a lot of action with Mike's Hard Lemonade, Bacardi Silver and MGD 64.


And let's not forget that for only $48.00, you too can have a Juicy Couture helmet charm. Because no charm bracelet is complete without one.

To be serious here for a second, I enjoy being a girl as much as the next, er, girl. You saw my gameday outfit from last Sunday -- leggings with Ugg boots isn't exactly what I'd call a hardcore superfan look. But I do find the "make it pink" marketing tactic uninventive, lazy and a tad insulting.

In fact, it reminds me being in the back seat of my mother's mini-van waiting for my McDonald's Happy Meal, only to hear the register clerk say, "For a boy or girl?" My nine-year old brain already recognized the injustice of it all: "Well what does it matter if I'm a boy or a girl?" I thought ... because every kid knows the decision should depend on the choice of toy they had in stock.

But with the the swift punch of a cash register button, I was sentenced to another mini Barbie doll in a ballgown, regardless of how cool the Hot Wheels car was that week. This time it's like McDonald's all over again, except now they're giving me the choice of Option A) a large jersey designed for a man's body that I'm swimming in, or Option B) more pink stuff. Which is why I wear my little brother's hand-me-down items from their elementary school days and am completely okay with it.

So for now, I'm sending my little pink Bears hat along to the far-off land of donations so some other sweet guy can pick it up for his unknowing girlfriend at the Goodwill store.

More on "the good" pink next time ... xoxo.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

An EmBEARassment If I've Ever Seen One


Well then ... shall we get on with it? What a waste of an outfit.

The Bears got smoked by the Cincinnati Bengals tonight. When you're opponents score 45 points to your 10, it's not only humiliating but also just completely pointless for the rest of us to watch. Remember in your old Little League days when the other team beat yours beyond any shred of a doubt? As soon as your score was surpassed by ten runs or more, both sides just quietly gathered up their equipment, lined up to shake hands and went over to the benches to get their post-game Capri sun and Little Debbies treat from the team mom. (The later being the only reason I stayed a part of the local girls softball league for my final two years... but I digress.)

Why is there not a slaughter rule in football? Watching a team get annihilated is no fun for anyone, especially wives and girlfriends everywhere who can only look on helplessly as their significant other's mood sours more with each additional yard. When my mind started inevitably wandering during tonight's game, I came up with a formula for my proposed slaughter rule:

Difference between the teams' scores
Number of minutes left in the game

The answer that results is something I've called the Bail Factor, as in, "Why can't we all just bail on this game instead of sitting here watching every miserable last play?" Once that number becomes greater than 1, the game should be over. So in today's example, if the Bengal's score surpassed the Bears by 35 points and the clock was at 5 minutes before halftime, the game would have been wrapped up. (35 points / 35 minutes left = 1). We all could have gone on with our lives and polished off the remainder of our beer without having to witness touchdown after pick-off after fumble. Problem solved: no side of insult with my injury, please.

The game was more interesting than usual for me, mostly because of the post I made earlier in the week about Chad OchoCinco's Twitter smack talking. I could just picture him running his mouth (both out loud and as part of his internal dialogue) while he was running circles around our Bears. I guess digital disses take their toll on the players after all.

Luckily for me, I watched the game as part of as Bears/Pumpkin Carving party, so I could at least wash the taste of cold, hard defeat with pumpkin pie! Check out this masterpiece:


Let's hope this little shape shifter brings us better luck next week against the Cleaveland Browns!

GameDay Outfit: October 25th, 2009 vs. The Cincinnati Bengals

Be back later, but for now here's my game day outfit!

Sweater: Arden B
Leggings: Akira Chicago, Denim Color
Boots: Ugg Tall Classic
Jersey: Little brother's old one from Junior High
Earrings: Target

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Trash Talking in 140 Characters or Less

You know during a heated moment when one football helmet is crunched up against another, and you can see the players lips moving but despite the HD that your husband pays $20 extra a month for, you can't possibly make out what smack they might be talking to one another?

I have always wondered what types of words were exchanged between the players during these high-pressure games. They're all so *serious* about it! And my gossip-hungry ears are eager to hear the trash talking.

Turns out I can, as long as it's 140 characters or less. Who knew football players were on Twitter!? And that they talk about things from the mundane to the borderline inappropriate.

There's @Devin Hester., who tweeted how he was going to spend his bye weekend before the Bears game against the Falcons last Sunday. His response?

"I spent a lot of time with my family and my fiance. It is nice having a little extra time with everyone. Nice and relaxing."

Just imagine "relaxing" with the guy who is one of the most deft and agile wide receivers in the league and has made some of the best kickoff returns I've ever seen! He seems like such a normal guy. Which made me wonder: Does he watch football in his spare time? (I'm assuming yes, but you never know.) What's his favorite meal to kick back and watch the game with? (According to Sporting News, he is a fast-food junkie and lover of Mexican, chili and and Red Bull ... sounds like this guy could use a visit to the nutritionist!) He also has tweeted that he and his fiance are expecting a baby boy some time later this year. I have to say, I cannot imagine being that woman and having a little maniac thrash around in my belly all day.

Let's move along to the Bengals' @Chad Ochocinco, who recently used his Twitter as an opportunity to talk smack before and after the Bears's match this Sunday against his team. He told @Jay Cutler, the Bears' new quarterback:


He seems to be the biggest smack slinger of the bunch, and has mentioned he thinks "Chicago has the biggest platform for trash talking." Apparently this is how he puts pressure on himself to win, and it's right there on Twitter now for all the world to see!

I feel like all these tweets would be far more interesting if I knew who all these players were. I know Jay Cutler and obviously Devin Hester, but I'm going to start taking note of the players to check out their Twitters before and after the game. I think that would help me be more interested if, for example, a player went out of his way to smash into another guy who had sent him a nasty tweet a couple hours before.

Football is always a little bit more tolerable when you can mute the TV and put words in the players mouth!

Monday, October 19, 2009

If you would have told me I'd have a sports blog one day, I'd never believe you.

Anyone who knows anything about me is aware of the fact that I loathe sports. And I'll be the first to admit that I don't know anything about most of them. So why, might you ask, should you want to read a blog by somebody who admittedly doesn't know anything about or enjoy sports?

I don't really know either, but apparently I ask some very insightful-slash-interesting questions about sports and was told to chronicle my thoughts on a blog. (Probably a nice way of saying, "shut up and quit bothering us during the game.") So here I am. Starting a blog that will hopefully be a place where bored girlfriends and wives can interact and relate to events in football, baseball, etc.

It's all for this guy: the love of my life and the biggest sports enthusiast on God's green earth. And the person who probably wants to rip his hair out every time I ask questions like, "Why doesn't the American Cancer Society use a consistent shade of pink on the players' attire?"


And for those who loves sports, I hope this blog isn't *too* annoying for you. My apologies in advance, but a girl's gotta entertain herself somehow during those loooong Sunday afternoons.