Unsponsoring football”: Sign value, symbolic exchange and simulacra in a gambling-related marketing campaign

May, Anthony (2024) Unsponsoring football”: Sign value, symbolic exchange and simulacra in a gambling-related marketing campaign. Sociological Research Online. ISSN 1360-7804

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Abstract

This article utilises Baudrillard’s (1981/1994; 1981/2019) concepts of sign value and symbolic exchange to examine the “Unsponsoring Football” campaign which was designed by the marketing and creative agencies VCCP and Octagon, and carried out in conjunction with the bookmakers Paddy Power. Clubs were “unsponsored” by Paddy Power, which paid for the right to not display its logo on football shirts. The campaign concept involved “spoof” shirts which are simulations of the “real” items. A four step process through which the simulacra develop is outlined in the article. The campaign parodies UK government policy on gambling-related sponsorship, which has been criticised for its failure to regulate what is a globalised market. The 2023 White Paper “High Stakes: Gambling Reform for the Digital Age” is notably similar to the parodic position taken in “Unsponsoring Football”. Removing some elements of sponsorship while retaining a wider relationship with the gambling industry means that the gamblification of the sport remains in place.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	10.1177/13607804241264684
Dates:	Date Event 7 June 2024 Accepted 5 September 2024 Published Online
Subjects:	CAH15 - social sciences > CAH15-01 - sociology, social policy and anthropology > CAH15-01-02 - sociology
Divisions:	Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences > College of Law, Social and Criminal Justice
Depositing User:	Gemma Tonks
Date Deposited:	26 Jun 2024 14:09
Last Modified:	12 Sep 2024 13:23
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/15588

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