Millionaire Shaquille O’Neal Was Inspired by a Controversial Fictional Character to Add an Important Feature in His Commercials

Shaquille O’Neal is many things. He was a really good basketball player which earned him the label of a “Shaq attack” on the court. He is a rapper, hosts a podcast, is a sports analyst, and has also appeared in movies. O’Neal also owns a chain of restaurants, car washes, fitness centers, nightclubs, a shopping center, and a movie theatre. Safe to say, he is an eminent businessman and an investor.

After being in the business world, he has gotten a nice grasp on what works and what doesn’t work in the market. In a recent interview, he shares how he took inspiration from a cartoon character to leverage his ads.

O’Neal shares with Grant Cardone how he had been ideating about the Shaq brand for a long time. He said he was “distraught” with his professor’s comments on his idea. He was told that it is difficult for “big guys” to sell products. O’Neal also agreed with him because at that time, only Magic Johnson and Larry Bird had commercials.

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It was while he was facing doubts whether he will be popular or not, this character gave him some much-needed inspiration. “I found out his name-Spuds MacKenzie,” Shaq told Cardone during the interview.

A dog inspires Shaquille O’Neal

This is how the Big Aristotle came to know about Spuds Mackenzie. He became cognizant that the dog has his own line of shirts and hats, which is what he intended to have too- a range of products under his name.

So, he studied all that he needed to about Spuds Mackenzie, and started to actively emulate that in his marketing.

“If I ever get the chance to be on TV, humor, humor, humor”, was his eureka moment. He explained that people like humor and that they register comedy quicker. Just as the dog’s commercials were funny, he wanted to make his product commercials funny. According to O’Neal, the humor aspect ensures that the customers remember the product when they go to a store. Humor is mandatory in his marketing, admitted O’Neal.

Who is Spuds Mackenzie?

Spuds MacKenzie was used extensively for the Bud Light beer campaigns. The bull terrier was the symbol of partying, the good life, and lightness of being. However, it attracted some controversy for allegedly promoting alcohol to minors.

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What is your opinion on O’Neal’s marketing strategy? Let us know in the comments.