Brazil -
The decision of Neymar to admit in an advertising announcement that he sometimes reacted exaggeratedly when fouls were committed against him during the World Cup has backfired.
Brazilian marketing experts considered that the image of the Paris Saint-Germain forward has even worsened after the commercial.
Under the title of A new man every day, the video released last Sunday was sponsored by Gillette and broadcast on several Brazilian TV networks.
"They may think that I sometimes exaggerate. And sometimes I do exaggerate. But the truth is that I suffer on the field," Neymar said in the announcement, referring to the constant fouls he received during the World Cup. "It took me too long to accept their criticisms. It took me time to look at myself in the mirror and become a new man."
Brazil was eliminated by Belgium in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in July. The Brazilian captain had a modest performance with some peaks that proved to be insufficient.
Experts believed that the announcement damaged the image of the 26-year-old star as much as his exaggerations in Russia.
"The entire market waited 15 days after the end of the World Cup to hear him," said Amir Somoggi, partner at Sports Value, to The Associated Press. "He gave some interviews but didn't admit his exaggerations then. Now he has hidden in a TV commercial to do it. That was good for the sponsor, after all we've talked about the brand (of Neymar), but it wasn't good for him, who now has to handle an even worse image crisis."
Erich Beting, sports marketing consultant, considered the timing of the announcement to be a mistake.
"Neymar's problems happened on the field, and he won't be playing tomorrow to show us how he has changed, as the announcement points out. That fact, and his decision to choose an announcement to do it, makes everything empty. It will take weeks before he has the opportunity to show any real improvement," he added.
José Colagrossi, another consultant, agreed: "It would be different if he really opened up in a live press conference, looking us in the eyes and not in a sponsored video."
(D)