Today was the day the Aston Villa marketing team decided to roll out it’s campaign to announce the release date of Aston Villa’s new kit. With the kit being revealed on the 7th of July, the campaign images featured a number seven like window with Christian Benteke striking his signature pose while giving a sneaky glimpse of the new home shirt.
Having read the Talksport rumours in the morning that Benteke would be signing for Liverpool any day soon, the image seemed to back-up what an often reliable Belgian journalist for the daily Het Laaste Nieuws had stated on social media, that both Benteke and his agent weren’t aware of this Liverpool deal.
in previous seasons, Benteke being the main man at Villa is the go-to-guy to be the poster boy for the new shirt campaign and his presence in these campaigns has given fans a certain level of comfort that he’s staying.
Indeed, both Benteke and his agent weren’t even in England at the moment to seal any deal. Seeing the image of Benteke promoting the new club shirt gave the impression that it was business as usual and that the reported £32.5 million release clause hadn’t been triggered yet. And of course, there’s a reason why Talksport is nicknamed Talksh**e.
But then the above promotional image of Benteke was suddenly withdrawn from all of the club’s social media channels puzzling some fans.
Are the club telling us all we need to know and confirming his departure is imminent, or are they just maybe recoiling from supporter’s saying it’s bad taste to use him in their promotion while his future is uncertain and he wants to leave?
The plot thickens. But as MOMS has said before, Villa must hold out for his release clause value and let that determine the player’s future.
UPDATE: The club have used his image again on Tweets to advertise advance orders of the new kit, which says more than what Talksport are chatting.
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Trev – your medications – they’re overdue
99Red – shave your armpits and get a job
The promo photos for this were taken before the end of the season. It could be a composite image but particularly with this type of thing they always look off. From a digital media editor point of view, although I can only see partially I’d be almost certain, that that, via the adjustments in colour is the original photo.
I was a little worried when it was pulled but then it came back later changing the blue for claret. It points to being a sign of either we’re standing firm or we expect and think he’ll stay but at the same time I remember the club ‘Barry is going nowhere’ statement so in terms of interpreting it as a sign it has only made me slightly more optimistic that he’ll be around come the close of the window.
Yep, the promo campaign was shot a week before the FA Cup final, but obviously that’s not the point here. It was the earlier withdrawal of the image due to the press speculation (or what was actually happening). To be fair, it’s a tricky situation in terms of using his image, if the club are not 100% sure he’s staying.
Clearly a “Know it all” Liverpool fan who has taken offence for some bizarre reason?! Then again i guess that’s the kind of tactic that lot would use so you can understand him thinking like that 😉 lol! ..Bless
A long time ago when the Soviet Union was stlll going, I did a course in Russian History where one unit was about ‘Kremlinology’, ie watch how a small change in advertising meant Stalin was about to send half of Georgia to a Labour camp.
I didn’t think I would have to apply the same skills to the Villa
Trevor Fisher.
It clearly didn’t cross your mind that the pic of Benteke has been edited by simply changing his shirt, something that with today’s computer technology is easy to do. How many times have the papers printed players wearing different tops to show what they would look like having been linked with certain clubs?
Pathetic story claiming it’s a “hint” about Bentekes future.
What the hell are you talking about? Have you actually read the story?