It all started with a tweet last week, an Australian journalist. The so -called Neal Gardner Insaire having been contacted by a communication agency which offered him a
“Potential collaboration” (paid). The goal? Conduct a media campaign to promote the victory of Ousmane Dembélé to the Ballon d'Or.
“We are studying a one -month campaign aimed at causing dialogue and strengthening the discourse around the candidacy of Ousmane Dembélé to the Ballon d'Or, explains the email. More specifically, we would like to offer three tweets carefully written per week for a month, highlighting its performance, its impact and the general arguments in favor of its recognition. Given your credibility and your influence within the football community, your involvement would bring a significant weight to this conversation. At this point, we are soliciting your quotes for this mission. »»
The accusations are quite serious, and they immediately aroused a number of reactions. The journalist, who is particularly interested in FC Barcelona news, was accused of having invented everything. With the aim, it is imagined, to discredit the candidacy of Ousmane Dembélé, and thus promote that of Lamine Yamal.
However, everything is true. Or in any case, this email was really sent to Neal Gardner. But who? The Athletic conducted the investigation. And discovered has no connection with Ousmane Dembélé and his clan, with Paris Saint-Germain, or with the famous “digital army” of the capital's club.
A pro-USMANE DEMBÉLÉ campaign … imagined in India
It all started from an agency called Bangrr International, based in India, which is described on its website as “Marketing, advertising and new generation content power, redefining the narration of ultra-luxury brands. »The Athletic contacted its founder, Ali Husain. And the latter very seriously explained that the email received by Neal Gardner had been sent … by an intern of 18, without the downstream of his superiors.
“Student passionate about football, advertising and digital content creation, the trainee noticed Mr. Gardner's recent publication concerning collaboration requests. This gave him the idea of conducting personal research on the way in which influencers and journalists structure partnerships for the promotion of brands, especially in the football sector, explains Ali Husain. The trainee has seen this as a learning opportunity to understand a different segment of the digital landscape … “
So this is the end of the story and the explanation for this strange timing to say the least: why wire a pro-friendly campaign for a month when the golden ball ceremony takes place … next Monday? And why do it when the votes are already closed? A funny lesson for this trainee …
