Neymar under fire after WC ‘mea culpa’ advert
Sao Paulo, July 31
Neymar’s decision to use a sponsored advertisement to admit he sometimes over-reacted to fouls at the World Cup has backfired, with Brazilian marketing experts saying it had made the Paris Saint-Germain striker’s image even worse.
Under the title ‘A New Man Every Day,’ Sunday’s video was backed by personal care products maker Gillette and broadcast on several Brazilian TV networks. “You may think I exaggerate. And sometimes I do exaggerate. But the truth is I suffer on the pitch,” Neymar said in the advertisement, referring to the constant fouls he received at the World Cup.
“I took long to accept your criticism. I took long to look at myself in the mirror and become a new man.”
Marketing specialists said the advertisement damaged the 26-year-old player’s brand as much as his histrionics did in Russia. “The whole market waited 15 days since the end of the World Cup to hear from him,” said Amir Somoggi, a partner at marketing company Sports Value.
“He gave some interviews, but did not admit his exaggerations then. Now he has hidden behind a TV commercial to do that. This was great for the sponsor, after all we are talking about the brand. But it was not good for Neymar, who now has an even bigger image crisis to handle.” — AP/PTI
