A brand opportunity: Oil wrestling

A potential brand which would associate with oil wrestling could get an opportunity 

to be a popular lifestyle menswear brand

I wonder why there is no menswear brand for youngsters in Turkey which associates with oil wrestling, a well-known but not wide spread traditional sport being played for centuries.

    It’s weird because it’s probable that any brand which would relate with oil wrestling could get a natural opportunity to have sponsorship with annual Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Organization, which is held in Edirne, a city several hours away from İstanbul and to get press coverage.

   Some may have doubts about being perceived kind of provincal when the brand relates with this organization -mostly attended by not-that-elite local inhabitants. But this raw image has another opportunity: Provenance.

   Oil wrestling has been played for centuries and it used to be very popular. That’s because it has a strong provenance which would help to get public attention.

   Recent years this sport has been in the focus of gay people all around the world because of its playing style. Their perception was like this: Two half naked macho men covered olive oil wrestles and they even do freely put their hands into their kısmets (the short pants players ought to wear)

   So here is another opportunity a potential brand could use: Even though the brand would have a ‘straight’ looking it may attract gay people at the same time. Like Abercrombie and Fitch it may generate a new kind of fraternity feeling.

Kırkpınar Oil Wrestlings is a natural source for Bruce Weber-like images: