Jul 08, 2009 at 04:23 PM
written by

Summer in Spain: O, the Possibilities!

First, let me say that it has never EVER been on my bucket list to run with the bulls in Pamplona. Having witnessed it (from the sidelines) first hand, anyone contemplating this is completely NUTS. With that said, and in honor of the annual event dating back to 1215, let's take a second to imagine the possibilities if Spanish customs embraced the modern model of corporate sponsorship. Here's a couple off the cuff ...

  • "Red Bull gives you wings!"

  • "Feel better, Tylenol"

  • Pretty much any mind-numbing adult beverage.

  • "Humana: Guidance when you need it most"

  • Financial institutions wishing for bullish behavior

  • Legalzoom?


    And when it comes to Tomatina? How about some of these...

  • "Discover the world of Heinz!"

  • Under Armour

  • "Tide knows fabrics best!"

  • Crocs

    As it turns out, there actually is a Running of the Bulls with sponsors. But it's in the Big Easy - a long ways from España.

    Now some of the drawbacks..

    1. Would a brand marketer want to touch an event that has killed 14 people since 1910? And if the brand people didn't kill it, you can bet the legal beagles would.

    2. Animal cruelty critics might boycott your brand in some strange ways. PETA activists have created the "running of the nudes", a demonstration the day before the beginning of San Fermín in Pamplona.

    In addition, the argument can certainly be made that this would taint the country's customs, but in some ways (as we're reminded by UEFA soccer fans who have had jersey sponsorship for many years) Europe is more progressive than the U.S. in their corporate sponsorship customs.

    Can you think of other partnership possibilities? In the meantime, this may make you feel a little better about your day at the office: