Is Sponsorship a Sin?

There is the assumption by some - when it comes to athlete sponsorship/endorsement especially - that celebrities are often "anointed" because of marketability and commercial interests, in the absence of any real accomplishments on the court, the stage, the screen, etc. This perception is rooted in individual sports, but can also apply to other forms of entertainment - film, music, arts. Some say Britney didn't have the best voice, but she was highly marketable (at the time, at least). Michael Crabtree made a reported sum of over $750K in endorsements with Subway, Jordan Brand, Upper Deck, Topps and others before playing a down in the NFL.

A recent blog post by climber Scott Semple addressed this topic and got a lot of interest. The follow-up presentation below addresses the question - is sponsorship a sin?

Brands sponsor because they derive perceived value out of a partnership. How the derive that value, whether it's on the field, in the media, charitable endeavors, or anything else shouldn't really matter. Or should it?

Is Sponsorship a Sin? from Scott Semple on Vimeo.

What do you think? Is "sponsor worthy" an idealistic notion or something to consider the next time you're shopping for deals?

photo credit via wikimedia: chris