$1m Sees Burger King Mascot Join Mayweather's Entourage

Saturday’s so called ‘Fight of the Century’ between Mayweather and Pacquiao was more about money, brashness and male brutality than brave marketing and yet there was one stand out sponsorship stunt – Mayweather entered the ring with an entourage that not only including musician Justin Bieber and talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel, but also the famous Burger King brand mascot.

The official Burger King mascot, clad in his trademark crown and robes, stood right behind Mayweather backstage and then followed him to the ring.

Seeing the brand character as part of Floyd Mayweather’s entourage was both bizarre and unexpected.

Thus achieving the primary objective of most sponsorship stunts – surprise.

Albeit one that, according to ESPN, cost Burger King around $1 million.

The investment was sufficiently bizarre and unexpected that fight fans immediately wanted to know why the BK mascot was there – setting social media alight with questions and comments that ensured Burger King was part of the big fight circus both in-person ringside and across the digital space.

ICYMI: Burger King paid for king to walk in with Floyd Mayweather. Estimated to cost $1M+ pic.twitter.com/hCj6TCEC42

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 4, 2015

I think #Mayweather's walkout was actually better than the actual fight. https://t.co/wSW9qvsbvm #burgerking #JustinBieber #jimmykimmel

— Earl Skakel (@EarlSkakel) May 3, 2015

Despite Mayweather’s victory (taking his record to an impressive 48 wins and 0 defeats) and his status as the highest paid athlete in the world, the fighter has a poor public image.

Indeed, leading up to this fight there was an avalanche of media negativity, criticism and backlash over his history across traditional and social media.

For example, Sports Illustrated called Mayweather ‘the most hated athlete in professional sports’.

Not only is he seen as arrogant, self-centered, money-obsessed, but, above all, he’s been convicted of domestic abuse twice (and spent time in jail).

Hardly the kind of role model a so-called family-friendly fast food brand might normally link up with as an athlete ambassador.

So why would a mainstream, Fortune 1000 company choose to ‘get in the ring’ with such a controversial sportsman?

After all, most fans in the MGM Grand arena loudly booed when Mayweather came into the ring (thus, by association, booing Burger King too).

Burger King YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/bk

And yet the burger brand’s response to requests for comments about the partnership were answered with a joke about its mascot.

A company statement just said: ‘We don’t call him the King for nothing’

When asked to elaborate on the meaning of this comment, a Burger King spokesperson simply said: ‘We do not have anything else to contribute at this time’.

Despite having more than 1 million Twitter followers and 37,500 YouTube subscribers, it didn’t appear that Burger King integrated the stunt across its owned social media channels.

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Consumers may initially found the BK mascot’s presence within the entourage odd, but more careful consideration might lead one to determine that the two do have some genuine synergies.

After all, both seem to love the sparkling trappings and symbols of wealth and power (from jewels and belts to crowns and chains) and both are extreme caricatures who have been described as ‘brash’ and ‘creepy’.

Indeed, back in 2006 for his fight against Carlos Baldomir, Mayweather even entered on a throne.

So clearly the boxer and the Burger King mascot even share the same taste in seating.

This left-field activation certainly ensured Burgher King’s presence on one of sports’ biggest sports stages of the year.

Initially it was back in 2003, when hot shop Miami agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky took command of the Burger King advertising account, they devised this over-the-top, plastic and slightly weird variation of the long running Burger King character for the debut ‘Burger King Kingdom’ campaign.

And ever since, despite CP+B losing the account several years ago, the brand mascot widely known as ‘the King’ has fronted most of the fast food chain’s marketing.

As for Mayweather’s other commercial partnerships, well, brands have largely stayed well clear of him in recent years.

Despite topping the Sports Illustrated/Fortune athlete earnings list for the last three years, he has achieved this with no listed brand endorsement deals.

Indeed, one of the very few other company’s to associate themselves with the champion boxer has been Berkshire Hathaway.

Iconic investor and company boss Warren Buffett met Mayweather in Lag Vegas last January and shot a comic video in which ‘Buffett fights the champ.

This film was then aired at the 2015 annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting in Omaha.