Did you know that Getafe’s shirt sponsor is Burger King? Yes, the American fast-food giant has their corporate logo on a La Liga uniform. This raises questions aplenty for me.
Are our Spanish friends really endeared to American fast-food? If not, will sponsoring Getafe help? And, why Getafe? And why La Liga and not someone else? Perhaps most importantly, why no love for MLS?
While I have no clue about my first two questions, you don’t need to be a marketing major to presume answers for the remainder of my inquiries.
BK probably wants to expand it’s visibility both in Spain and throughout the world. As La Liga has the reigning world champs (Barcelona) and the club that made the most visible transfer additions (do I really need to review Real Madrid’s summer?) the world will now hunger for a bit more TV time from Spain’s top flight. Of course, that ESPN contract probably doesn’t hurt, either.
The king of burgers wondered how they could get some international airtime without breaking the bank. Grabbing the shirt sponsorship of a lower level La Liga side is the answer. Let’s face it, bumping Barca’s or Real’s shirt sponsor would require more revenue than the dollar menu can generate. Getafe’s price probably fit more nicely into the Burger King budget. Just as money is no doubt the driving force behind the BK move to Getafe, it’s probably the same for the company’s lack of an identical move in MLS.
La Liga > MLS. I get that. Nonetheless, I suspect the cost of a shirt sponsorship in MLS is lower than Getafe, as well. I’m not saying drop Getafe, it’s a solid decision, but why not support the game back home? Your rivals don’t seem to be too active, either, so there’s an opportunity. Come on, BK. How about a little home cookin’?
Rest assured, Burger King execs. If Detroit ever lands an MLS franchise I’ll be looking at you to be a potential shirt sponsor.
