Athletes Are Taking Over The Runway

Jack Grealish Signs With Gucci

It wasn’t too long ago when football players and fashion designers could not be pictured in the same room. Traditionally, football is a working-class sport where simplicity and cost-effectiveness were standard. Managers preferred for players to stay grounded and avoided drawing attention to themselves as it could potentially distract the team and hurt them in the long run.

However, the view has since changed and athletes all over the world now have brand endorsements for just about everything they own. Take Lionel Messi for example. His popularity has earned him deals with Adidas, Gatorade, Pepsi, Lays, Konami, and much more. In fact, his sponsorships helped him become the second-highest-paid athlete of 2021. But despite his status of being one of two of the best football players in the world for the last decade, not even Messi has earned a sponsorship from a luxury fashion company like Gucci. It’s not just about performance and marketability for fashion brands, you need to fit into their target market. That’s where Jack Grealish comes in.

Fresh off a €100 million transfer from his boyhood club Aston Villa to the Premier League champions Manchester City, Grealish has kept his place in the spotlight. Although his game time and results have not been outstanding, he’s held his own in a talented City lineup and has earned starts for England. More importantly, Grealish has stayed in the news for his extravagant outfits and outlandish personality. With fans either praising him for bringing creativity to matchday outfits or criticizing him for trying to bring unneeded attention to himself, people are talking about Jack Grealish. And that’s exactly what Gucci looks for in their brand ambassadors.

Earlier this year, Gucci partnered with Francis Bourgeois to showcase a collaboration between Gucci and The North Face. Bourgeois rose to fame by recording his reactions to spotting trains across England and posting them on TikTok. Many people criticized him after his popularity exploded but Bourgeois ignored the hate and continued to post his reactions. Soon after, Gucci reached out and he starred in several photoshoots for the brand. Other Gucci brand ambassadors include Jared Leto and Harry Styles, both of which have maintained their spot in the public’s eye through their flashy, and sometimes innovative, styles and personalities.

There’s no doubt that football is becoming more “trendy” and fashion brands are starting to catch on. Back in 2014, Real Madrid partnered with designer Yohji Yamamoto to create an iconic third jersey. In 2018, Serie A titans Juventus released a one-off collaboration with streetwear brand Palace. Even Off-White has recently released a complete football collection. However, luxury brands such as Gucci aren’t looking for an athlete endorsement to help expand their target market. They’re after someone who represents the Gucci brand well and isn’t afraid to show their personality when facing doubters. If you’re looking for someone in the Premier League to do exactly that, then Jack Grealish is the perfect player to represent Gucci.

Published: April 8, 2022 - Issue 33 of The Sport Marketeer