Kickette.com – Soccer/football gossip, hot players, WAGs that love them

April 28th, 2010

Product Shill: Everyone For Everything

You know it’s nearly World Cup time when players are being pushed out in front of all the world’s media bulbs for the sake of national pride and publicity. Whether it’s for marketers, charity or themselves, much has changed since the ’06 landscape. Such as the slew of savvy photographers who happen to capture moments like Craig Moore relaxing on a private yacht in the Sydney Harbour for the Socceroos Nike kit launch.

But we don’t have to tell you that.

Here’s a quick summary of other product shills goin’ on around the globe featuring a host of current and retired players:

- England footballers John Terry, and Matthew Upson, posed with a giant football at Wembley stadium in London. Surely we missed the punchline on this media photo for Britain Football Day?




- When, last time in Madrid, Raul agreed to pose with…a giant diaphragm.






-  Similiarly, at this time last Thursday, the President of Diadora and UC Sampdoria’s Antonio Cassano exchanged boots and life-size cardboard cut-outs at a product presser.




- Will you be buying the 148-page Anelka by Nicholas Anelka book when it hits store shelves on May 6? Rumour has it that it’s rather picture heavy (wedding and family photos, which is cute) and that the Chelsea man and his ghostwriter detailed much of Nico’s personal beliefs. We sure hope those beliefs involved not wearing a shirt while being photographed for your book.




- Mohamed Al Fayed presented Gary Lineker with some…Viagara at the World Class Football Auction photo call on Monday.




– That same day in Milan, Lotto Italia launched their new Zhero Gravity footy boot with help from Leonardo Bonucci, Joan Capdevila, Luca Toni and Giuseppe Rossi.




- A true jack of all trades, here’s Cristiano Ronaldo supporting Gucci (sunglasses) Nike (polo shirt) and CR7 fashions (belt buckle) during a Real Madrid-sanctioned radio interview. We’re going to go out on a limb here and encourage Crest to sign him up to front their Whitestrips, too.

Kudos, kid. You’re the only one who can be tacky, sexy and fabulous all at the same time.


- And, just today, Kun Aguero acknowledged Real Madrid’s interest in his footballing services but happily posed while horribly dressed on behalf of his current club, Atletico Madrid.

Teammate Diego Forlan also recently debuted his autobiography. Thumbs up for the cover shot/accompanying promotional materials.