Good man brand- Is the QB starting to get above his station?

kjreid

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Umm it's a player of the Hawks that is in the News section of .com. it definitely is not a advertisement as much as news/information about one of the Hawks Players.
 

Popeyejones

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I have to imagine there's some co-marketing or branded content involved, as an NFL player trying to create a fashion line isn't front page news anywhere.

My only problem with it is that people try to get away with saying complete and total balderdash like the below with a straight face:

“It’s more than fashion, it’s about effecting change,” Wilson told the Huffington Post. “That’s what we’re really after.”


Funneling less than 2% of the sticker price of a $170 polo shirt into your own charity for the tax write off isn't trying to change the friggin world, it's a remarkably miserly way to try market yourself as something different than you are. He could put 50% of the sticker price into charity ($85 for the company, an $85 dollars for the cause) and still have STUPIDLY large margins on $170 polo shirts, $150 sweatshirt material shorts, etc.
 
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UK_Seahawk

UK_Seahawk

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Popeyejones":29rqxsx2 said:
Funneling less than 2% of the sticker price of a $170 polo shirt into your own charity for the tax write off isn't trying to change the friggin world, it's a remarkably miserly way to try market yourself as something different than you are. He could put 50% of the sticker price into charity ($85 for the company, an $85 dollars for the cause) and still have STUPIDLY large margins on $170 polo shirts, $150 sweatshirt material shorts, etc.

This is what has annoyed me I guess, personally I think had he just been honest and gave sod all to charity I would have had no problem. NFL player starts new ridiculously overpriced fashion line whoop de doo but trying to show it as some kind of life changing charitable thing just stinks to me.

Wilson has gone down in my estimation. He's starting to disappear up his own arse as we Brits say.
 

Scottemojo

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Popeyejones":3hftcklr said:
I have to imagine there's some co-marketing or branded content involved, as an NFL player trying to create a fashion line isn't front page news anywhere.

My only problem with it is that people try to get away with saying complete and total balderdash like the below with a straight face:

“It’s more than fashion, it’s about effecting change,” Wilson told the Huffington Post. “That’s what we’re really after.”


Funneling less than 2% of the sticker price of a $170 polo shirt into your own charity for the tax write off isn't trying to change the friggin world, it's a remarkably miserly way to try market yourself as something different than you are. He could put 50% of the sticker price into charity ($85 for the company, an $85 dollars for the cause) and still have STUPIDLY large margins on $170 polo shirts, $150 sweatshirt material shorts, etc.

I don't like anyone going after my dollars with promises of philanthropy. Happens all the dam time too, now. I swear, half the time a swipe a card the salesperson asks me if I want to donate some money.

One question for the OP, though. Beastmode also promises part of his sales to charity. Does that bother you as much as what Wilson is doing? Because I would have to say Beastmode was even more blatant using the SB as a marketing stage.
 

Popeyejones

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Scottemojo":30vm2q25 said:
I don't like anyone going after my dollars with promises of philanthropy. Happens all the dam time too, now. I swear, half the time a swipe a card the salesperson asks me if I want to donate some money.

Yeah, definitely FAR from unique to Wilson.

Being this miserly to promote that nonsense does, however, stand out to me a little bit.

If you want to sell some Vans slip-ons for $300 (which he is) that's fine, whatever, but claiming to be in the game for charity and social good because you're only pocketing $297 of it is just really aggressively challenging people to call BS on you in a way that most folks don't.

To be fair, to stick with the shoes example, When Toms started selling slip-ons for $60 and donating a second pair to match every pair purchased I thought that was pretty cynical and nonsense too, but upping the game to 1% of $300 to charity to sell the same line of bull makes those cynical Tom's guys look like friggin Mother Teresa.

BTW -- don't give money to charities at the cash register. Usually 60-75% of what you give goes straight into the pocket of the store that's asking you (their "fee" for asking all their customers).
 

Silver Hawk

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About the only significance I see here is that it seems RW is out of touch on this one. He talks about this line being positioned for the guy that's just out of school and doesn't have much money. Then, we hear about $200 shirts and such. How can anyone with limited funds afford a $200 shirt? Aside from that, I can afford a $200 shirt but I don't think I've ever bought one.

P.S. - the apparently minimal contribution to charity also seems odd. It's better than nothing but seems like a minor afterthought in the whole equation.
 

Missing_Clink

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It's very cringe worthy, like pretty much all of his endeavors off the field outside of the Children's Hospital visits. $300+ shoes for the guy fresh out of school with mountains of debt who is looking for a job? Makes total sense :roll:

And then don't feed me the garbage about changing the world when you are only donating $3 out of that $300+ sale. How about do what Tom's does and donate one pair of overpriced shoes or shirts for each one you sell if you really want to be good men?

It's just lip service. It's just another lame vanity brand that will disappear in a year or two.
 

Cary Kollins

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oh, $3 because he wears #3

between this and peddling the nanobubbles, whew what a guy
 

12thbrah

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Should be called Rich Man Brand. Sorry Russ but this is Kardashian level marketing shenanigans. Despite his intentions nothing good will come of this. $100 for a polo? Maybe if it had a Seahawks logo on it :lol:
 

Jerhawk

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I was also disappointed to see wilson market this clothing line. It just comes across as going against the good natured person we perceive him as being.

He's also got this product called Eat the Ball which I've seen at Safeway. It's a little football shaped blob of frozen bread he's selling for $5. Has his face on it and everything. I don't mind him trying to sell overpriced frozen bread, but pulling a Kanye with this clothing line feels to me like it's beneath him
 

TwistedHusky

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I don't understand the guy.

He is a phenomenal QB, I have to just be happy with that.

I believe that he legit tries hard to make a difference, and that on some levels he believes strongly in what he is doing. But I think that the pressure to "build a brand" is misdirecting that, and I do believe that is a decision he made.

It is disappointing because it dilutes his brand, and he is going to end up with a reputation as a bit of a huckster. But it is his reputation and his choice, I just wish the Seahawks would separate themselves from it a bit more. I mean, some of it is fun (like the Alaska airlines stuff) but some is just not well conceived.

It is clear that he is milking his 'he is such a good guy' persona to sell things, and both the choices of how/what he is choosing and how it is being linked to his 'do-good' stuff just make him seem really fake. And the choice of the name of this venture is cringeworthy.
 

Popeyejones

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^^^ Yep, absolutely phenomenal QB, but as for stuff like this I don't know if it's more complimentary to think he's a huckster or jut a rank and file idiot who believes what he's saying. Sometimes it's almost Trump-ian, like he's daring people to laugh in his face about some of this stuff.

Another example of this same line of nonsense, for the football shaped white bread he sells:

Rachel Belle: So why did you decide to get involved with Eat the Ball?

Russell Wilson: I think the really cool thing about the ball, it's in the shape of the ball, hence the "Eat the Ball." Also you have the idea of the education part behind it too. We have an earth ball. It looks like the shape of a globe. It comes in, obviously, the seven different continents. So the goal was to get Eat the Ball not just in tailgating parties, and not just in stadiums all across the country and the world, but also in schools, public schools and private schools. When kids go grab their piece of bread, now they have an earth ball where they get to see the seven continents and think about, "Okay, what continent is this? What place do I want to go on this continent?" And have discussions with the table they're sitting at. That's really, really cool, I think, and I think that's what's going to be lasting.

Rachel Belle: Okay, so it's called Eat the Ball. All of us with 4th grade senses of humors are definitely enjoying this. Did you think about the name when you got involved?

Russell Wilson: Yeah! I think it's been a play on words. I think that it's a cute little way to have some fun with it, too. For kids, obviously the idea of eating the ball, the athletic ball, the football. But also, there's some adult fun with it I guess, people can joke around. I think the idea of there's one ball, one game. That's what it is. We only have once chance on this earth to really have sustainability and I think that what we're doing with the idea of full molds on these breaded balls, it makes a huge difference.

Like, c'mon dude. If you want to sell overpriced football shaped white bread go for it, but spouting this stuff really comes off like begging people to call you out on it.
 

Cary Kollins

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wow, Eat the Ball was new to me. That is honestly one of the dumbest things I have ever read. The bolded text below is cringe worthy.

“I opened up my foundation last Tuesday,” Wilson said. “It was originally going to be called the Russell Wilson Foundation. I was thinking about it and realized one of the scriptures I kind of have been relying on this season is John 3:30. It says, ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’ I realized, I don’t want my foundation to be about me.”

So Russell Wilson Foundation was out, replaced by something his late father always said to him: Why not you?

As in, “Why not you be a Super Bowl winning quarterback?” Or, “Why not you play professional baseball?” Or, “Why not you get your education?” All things that Wilson has accomplished in his first 25 years.

“That question motivated me,” Wilson said. “It was something that was kind of a kick start to, I believe, my discipline and my work ethic and everything. So I was thinking about all the kids I get to see and all the people I get to meet. One of things I thought was, I should call it the 'Why Not You Foundation'.”

The goal of the foundation, Wilson said, is to empower people for change and to make a difference in the world.

This is where the late Michael Jackson gets involved in what has become “Pass the Peace.”

“I was flying down to California during the bye week and I was listening to the song ‘Man in the Mirror,’ ” Wilson said. “I was thinking with all the things going on in the world and all the things with domestic violence, I knew that the idea of ‘Pass the Peace’ would be a great idea.”

“Pass the Peace”?

“I play quarterback, how about I pass the ball to somebody?” he explained. “Then I thought about peace and what that means. And just came up with ‘Pass the Peace.’ ”


RW listening to "Man in the Mirror" is pretty much perfect.
 

Scottemojo

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Popeyejones":up4gde9n said:
Scottemojo":up4gde9n said:
I don't like anyone going after my dollars with promises of philanthropy. Happens all the dam time too, now. I swear, half the time a swipe a card the salesperson asks me if I want to donate some money.

Yeah, definitely FAR from unique to Wilson.

Being this miserly to promote that nonsense does, however, stand out to me a little bit.

If you want to sell some Vans slip-ons for $300 (which he is) that's fine, whatever, but claiming to be in the game for charity and social good because you're only pocketing $297 of it is just really aggressively challenging people to call BS on you in a way that most folks don't.

To be fair, to stick with the shoes example, When Toms started selling slip-ons for $60 and donating a second pair to match every pair purchased I thought that was pretty cynical and nonsense too, but upping the game to 1% of $300 to charity to sell the same line of bull makes those cynical Tom's guys look like friggin Mother Teresa.

BTW -- don't give money to charities at the cash register. Usually 60-75% of what you give goes straight into the pocket of the store that's asking you (their "fee" for asking all their customers).

I don't.
However,I think your assumption that Wilson pockets 297 dollars of a 300 dollar purchase is...simplistic.
Clearly, he doesn't get the aforementioned shoes for free.

Furthermore, I have no idea what his stake in the company is. Is he the sole creator and funder of this business? Or does he have partners?
I don't like the look of the whole thing, but I don't know the details either.
 

HawkAroundTheClock

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Wow. 1 year into his mega deal and RW has lost all touch with the common man?
 

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Popeyejones

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Scottemojo":1gbesdg4 said:
However,I think your assumption that Wilson pockets 297 dollars of a 300 dollar purchase is...simplistic.
Clearly, he doesn't get the aforementioned shoes for free.

Furthermore, I have no idea what his stake in the company is. Is he the sole creator and funder of this business? Or does he have partners?
I don't like the look of the whole thing, but I don't know the details either.

Yeah, "pocket" was lazy typing on my part.

I went through the website and it just looks like a hodge podge of stuff you'd find at a typical H&M. He's almost definitely using higher quality materials and there's a good chance he's doing much shorter order runs (also very, very possible is he's just pulling out mass-manufactured runs and putting his label on them), but the point still remains.

You can quintuple his material and production costs from H&M (heck, make 'em an order of magnitude larger and have 'em at 10X H&M) but you're still getting back to the same place.

The same sweatshirt material shorts that H&M has great margins on selling at $9.99 he's selling at $170.

Even if he's somehow found a way to spend $20 per pair of sweatshirt material shorts ( :lol: ) in production we're talking $150 in profit per sale, making the $3 donation to his own foundation just look like a friggin joke.

As for who's running the business, no idea either, but I have to imagine he's not doing day-to-day and has partners (a la the white bread company). IMO that doesn't much matter though, as this is about Wilson and his brand identity. Even if he has partners he's clearly the face of the company, and okay with going out in front of people saying with a straight face that he's putting his name on $170 sweatshirt shorts for people on a budget and to better the world. :D

Still a very, very good QB though. :th2thumbs:
 

tonyseahawk

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Yup. You lost me Russ. This is pretty pathetic. I get that you need the cash to own a team someday, and you gotta start early to get that $$, but you and Kim K may as well be partners. I guess if you're going to take someone's money, take it from the idiot that's going to spend that kind of cash on your cloths. They deserve it. As for my and my clan......LOL Just throw the damn football dude
 

DynoHawk

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UK_Seahawk":k3bapi1b said:
Why is this clearly personal business enterprise on seahawks.com?
.

.com did run a story about Beastmode opening a Beastmode store a few weeks ago.
 

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