Favre: Busted Ankle, Busted Brand?
Brett – I love you, man. I started watching football because of you. I love the NFL because of you. I have a 5′8″ (okay, 5″71/2) body divot in my couch because we’ve spent 3 hours together every Sunday for the past 19 years.
I am hanging on to a mediocre career in my local touch football league because I wanted to try some of the things you did on the field (I failed repeatedly and pulled a hamstring about a dozen times.)
So, how did you build your brand name so brilliantly?
Magic moments like:
Countless desperate underhand passes with no time on the clock and two savages hanging off you. Touchdowns.
Childlike enthusiasm as you run to jump in the arms of your teammates after they caught your hail mary.
285+ consecutive games playing through broken thumbs, bum knees, and concussions.
A 5-touchdown Monday Night Football performance in December 2003, less than 24 hours after the sudden death of your father. Why? Because your dad would have wanted you to play the game. Period.
Your brand brings one word to my mind: DRAMA. And you lived up to this positioning in spades every Sunday.
I invested in that remarkable brand and what it stood for. Packers jerseys. Jets jersey. Viking Jersey. Authentic ones, not the cheaper replicas. Ouch.
But the last three years. You are not only damaging your ankle. I fear you are damaging your brand.
2008:
Retired.
Not retired.
2009:
Retired.
Not Retired.
2010:
Leaning towards retirement.
Retirement.
Hold on. Not yet. August rolls around. Not retired.
Brett, your brand has stood for something great for 19 years now: DRAMA. A word you would own inside the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Now it’s getting all fuzzy. It’s leaning towards a word in my brain you don’t want: ”Indecisive“.
The brand rescue plan?
Maybe there’s somewhere off the football field where you can put that dramatic flair to use. There’s world hunger, earthquakes, and oil spills just screaming for your one-of-a-kind spirit.
Maybe there’s another game in life just waiting for your passion. But it requires something else:
A clear decision, and no looking back. Decisiveness.
Maybe I am wrong. The fact that ESPN is still running your return as their Top Story, and the fact that your jersey sells more than every other player on your team combined means that your brand still stands. But it no longer stands for one word, but two:
“Drama” and “Indecisive”.
That breaks a lot of the rules of great brands that need to own “one word” in consumer’s minds.
Brett… the “two word brand man”… if anyone could pull it off, it’s you.
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The gunslinger is on of a kind… the sales of his jerseys, excitement guys show when he is out there throwing speaks for itself and yes he has created a brand like no other…
Casey, leave it up to you to write a blog about Farve. HE has a new brand, called “Soap-Opera”!
Tom,
Ok – don’t go picking on the legend of Favre until you can spell it correctly FAVRE….bet you wouldn’t spell Gene Simmons incorrectly like that!
KC
Patrick,
Nice to here from you – where on the planet are you living these days?
Thanks for commenting.
KC
Casey leave to you to write about a dead beat issue.
Game is for sookies,that should bring a response.
My Favre-ite Things
Growin’ up Gulfport, down in Mississippi,
Coach Daddy ran ground game, but Brett he felt iffy,
South Miss came callin’, his defense to bring
But he said that QB’s My Favre-ite Thing
Records, and comebacks, he started to dazzle,
Drinkin’ and drivin,, his parents he’d frazzle,
Blowin’ the doors off of Ol’ Bam’s grid kings.
This is just one of My Favre-ite Things
Off to Atlanta with idiot Glanville,
Ridin’ the bench, it all looked so uphill,
Then Ron Wolf from Green Bay got him for “nothing”
This is just one of My Favre-ite Things
Lambeau’s new Legend, Brett’s name did now grow
Super Bowls and MVPs, they let him just throw, y’know
Yes for that time, the Packers were kings
This is just one of My Favre-ite Things
Tears upon leaving, but maybe just not yet
Green Bay’s “deceiving”, so now he’s a New York Jet
Waiting reporters, his cell phone now rings,
This was not one of My Favre-ite Things
The end it is wearing, but wait what’s that he hears,
Vikings he’s hearing, (please don’t make it the Bears!)
Minnie’s his home, and new hope he brings
This is just one of My Favre-ite Things
My song it is ending, I wish your enjoyment,
Rhyme scheme and rhythm are not my employment,
But to sing of this hero puts my words on wings,
And this is just one of My Favre-ite Things
You’re welcome!!!
LOVE IT!!! I never liked Favre though… : )
Kevin
Do yourself a Favre. Time to get a new couch….that divot ain’t getting any smaller.
If one purpose of a brand is to attract media hits,good or bad, he’s still scoring touchdowns.
Harry – We need a creative writer with some snazzy rhythm – awesome – thanks for the poem – I have sent it to NFL Head office for approval!
KC
Darrell,
Two good points – I bought a beanbag couch so I can shake the divots out on Monday mornings!
And Favre still connects with millions so the brand is still working and resonates…….
KC