NBA Rookie Is Just So Happy To Play For 'Team Name' In The City Of 'City'

from the put-dept.-subtitle-here dept

It ain't easy being a high-profile celebrity these days. A job that once mostly involved ducking cameras and putting out the occasional press release has evolved into one where multiple social media platforms must be updated so that fans feel that real connection that can only come with a carefully managed social media message. The brand is the ultimate product rather than any athletic or artistic output. To that end, even these social media messages come with sponsorships, carefully cultivated relationships with large companies itching to attach their names to well-followed celebrities and their social media accounts.

Speaking of athletes, the NBA draft just happened. Many young men realized their dream to play in the NBA after years of hard work. Because they are young, many of those athletes have social media accounts with the expected platforms. And many of them posted messages about how happy they were with the draft day results. Like Markelle Fultz, for instance, who was drafted number one overall by the Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers and immediately took to Instagram to let his fans know completely, organically and authentically how pleased he was.


Oops. In case you can't read the embedded tweet, Fultz said that he was "Excited to head to (City) and join the (team name)", all while happily pointing out that the message was sponsored by watchmaker Tissot. Clearly this was a pre-written template to send out on Instagram once it had been filled in, except Fultz never filled it in. While he deleted the message shortly after, it's unclear just how (insert emotion) Tissot was with the message.

More importantly, the curtain gets pulled back on Fultz's engagement with his followers. Certainly it's not the biggest deal in the world and most people are having a little light-hearted fun with Fultz's faux pas, but it does strike me that anyone that saw his Instagram account as a way to honestly engage with him likely knows better now.

Fultz, meanwhile, can likely console himself with whatever insane amount of money a number one overall pick gets these days. Here's hoping the Sixers don't forget to fill in the direct deposit template.

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Filed Under: markelle fultz, sponsorship, templates
Companies: instagram, nba


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  • icon
    TechDescartes (profile), 23 Jun 2017 @ 8:08pm

    [Subject]

    [Author] wrote, “[quote].” I tend to think that [opinion].

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    David, 23 Jun 2017 @ 10:03pm

    You know?

    That sounded a whole lot to me like someone who was still pending finalization of his public representation negotiations. In the last olympics, we had a lot of athletes restricted to making similar statements.

    You know the "I cannot believe I won the gold medal. I cannot talk coherently before talking to my manager, the olympics P.R department and legal representation. This is all too much. I never prepared for this." kind.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Ben (profile), 23 Jun 2017 @ 10:19pm

    Hope he shows up on time...

    Is he sponsored by Tissot? Or is it the NBA draft that's sponsored? (I haven't seen any other player pictures)

    He certainly is wearing enough watches to be promoting time pieces; now he (and they) need to make sure he shows up on time.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jun 2017 @ 1:41am

    Could have been legitimate.....

    Given how certain organizations are about trademarks and such as evidenced by a recent article here,
    https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170613/09445137576/ncaa-forces-ucf-football-player-to-choose-bet ween-his-athletic-career-his-youtube-channel.shtml
    I could see such a tweet being a not so subtle dig at the issue. But given his reaction, it wasn't the case, and he didn't think of it quickly enough to put such a spin on it.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    afn29129 (profile), 24 Jun 2017 @ 9:28am

    Laughable or pathetic, not sure which.

    Laughable or pathetic, not sure which. To laugh are everyone who thinks the world revolves around spectator sports or to shake my head at the pathetic fools. Panem et circenses.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Killercool (profile), 24 Jun 2017 @ 10:36am

      Re: Laughable or pathetic, not sure which.

      You mock _sports_ as bread and circuses while on the internet: the single greatest tool any government has ever created to distract people from effecting any actual change while making unprecedented amounts of impotent noise.

      Sure, the same minority as ever are able to use it as a tool to overthrow dictators, but for most, it's echo-chambers, bluster, and cloying self-righteousness.

      Which are you?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        michael, 26 Jun 2017 @ 11:44am

        Re: Re: Laughable or pathetic, not sure which.

        lol! Which dictator did you overthrow today, internet activist Killercool?

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jun 2017 @ 9:57am

    What a Pultz

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    [Name (Do Not Put 'Copybot')], 25 Jun 2017 @ 3:17am

    [Subject]

    [Author] wrote, “[quote].” I tend to think that [opinion].

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    NaBUru38 (profile), 26 Jun 2017 @ 8:15am

    It's unclear just how (insert emoticon) Tissot was with the message

    Companies can show emoticons, not emotions.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Ninja (profile), 26 Jun 2017 @ 8:57am

    At first I thought it was one of those cases where the player couldn't have his own digital life and possibly earnings outside of the league like: Come watch me with the team-that-must-not-be-named at the city-that-shall-not-be-named!

    My mistake. But it could happen anytime in the future. And then the guy would be sued by Rowling.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 26 Jun 2017 @ 11:37am

    Ahhh yes, the student athlete that the NCAA loves to talk about.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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