The bottles that are placed in front of the footballers during press conferences from time to time occupy a role that brands would probably prefer to avoid. On this occasion, it was Kylian Mbappé who moved a bottle of Gatorade in front of him during his appearance prior to the match against Inter Milan, making it clear that he did not want the product to appear in the frame during his speech.

Beyond the specific reasons that motivated the player’s decision, which have not been explained at the moment, the gesture once again puts on the table a particular circumstance of sports sponsorships: brands can contract spaces and presence within a competition, but they have much more limited control over the relationship that the protagonists establish with them.

The precedent of Cristiano Ronaldo and Coca-Cola

The scene inevitably refers to one of the most remembered advertising anecdotes of the 2020 Euro Cup, played in 2021. During a press conference in Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo moved away two bottles of Coca-Cola placed in front of him, raised one of water and uttered a forceful “Water!”.

The gesture was especially high-profile because, in addition, Coca-Cola was one of the major sponsors of the championship and had a relationship of more than three decades with UEFA. The company responded by reminding that it offered players and coaches different alternatives and that they were free to choose which drink to consume.

In the case of Mbappé, there has not been a similar statement against Gatorade but, five years after the Ronaldo episode, the scene remembers that the enormous visibility that sport offers to its sponsors also carries a risk. When a bottle shares a plane with some of the most recognizable figures in the world, such a gesture can substantially alter the meaning of a brand presence designed and negotiated in advance.