Lucky F**k or Legit Strategy? 🤷‍♂️

At the US Open, coaches are securing brand deals suddenly looking like NASCAR drivers. Even the spouses are cashing in on the athlete economy, making hundreds of thousands of dollars in brand deals. All of this is part of the second-order effects of sports marketing.

If you want to sponsor the number one tennis player in the world, you’re going to need to cut a big check, like Nike, Gucci, Rolex, or Head. Even top 20 player, Fritz, has sponsors such as Hugo Boss, Motorola, and, unfortunately, Chipotle. (That Chipotle logo really throws off the clean black-and-white look.)

The point is that all of these brands have a lot of money. But, what if you’re a smaller energy drink company like Lucky F Energy? Well, you can go for the next best thing—the coach. And this is where Lucky F Energy becomes interesting.

Sponsoring coaches and even family members is a fine play. They get television airtime whenever the cameras cut to them during a break at the US Open. It’s not as good as sponsoring an athlete, but it might be the next best option.

What makes Lucky F Energy particularly fascinating is their unique branding. That big piece of tape covering part of the logo is an interesting design choice—it makes you want to know what’s hidden beneath it. Newsflash: It’s a curse word, which is kind of tasteless in my opinion, BUT, it’s very effective.

But, the story behind the company’s founder is both fascinating and tragic. When he was young and flying back from a tennis tournament, his plane crashed and while his father died, he survived. His life went off the rails, but he managed to bounce back.

To help save his daughter’s life, he founded a formula-based company that did quite well. From there, Lucky F Energy was born.
Since his first love was tennis, he developed a smart strategy by targeting coaches and family members in the players’ box. It’s a fascinating approach, and one we’ll likely see more of—unless the organizations start cracking down on it.

I seriously doubt that by next year, the US Open allows coaches to look like NASCAR Drivers. But, that’s the fun of it. Guerrilla marketing will find a way once again.

Wimbledon would never…

Education & Resources:
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How to Land a Dream Job in Sports Marketing.

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Are you Ignorant enough to be Great?