On the face of it, this weekend’s St Johnstone v Hamilton Accies league match may not strike the casual observer as the most glamorous of sporting occasions.
However, that hasn’t prevented the Saints’ marketing team pouring their heart and soul into a promotional video that has quickly become the talk of Scottish football.
#PaintItBlue | Here's our promotional video for this Saturday's home match with @acciesfc! https://t.co/As76LOvOW2 #SJFC pic.twitter.com/NPa9F0kiBS
— St. Johnstone FC (@St_Johnstone_FC) January 23, 2017
The remarkable production, set to the soundtrack of Eiffel 65’s late 90s never-quite-classic Blue (Da Ba Dee), has been released as the creative high point of the Perth club’s #PaintItBlue marketing campaign for Saturday’s clash.
Kicking off with midfielder Chris Millar, the video features a series of Saintees miming along to the song’s sophisticated lyrics, including that unforgettable chorus “I’m Blue da ba dee da ba daa”.
Check out our #PaintItBlue billboard on the roundabout outside McDiarmid Park promoting this Saturday's home match with @acciesfc! #SJFC pic.twitter.com/hhyCR3LLDu
— St. Johnstone FC (@St_Johnstone_FC) January 24, 2017
While most have seen the funny side, it would be fair to say the video has not been universally well received — with some Saintees wishing the “cringey” video had never got past the cutting room floor.
On Twitter, Dylan advised the club to “Delete before folk see”, while Jonathan Brooks offered a concise opinion: “Minging”.
Mark Mckenzie described it as “The most cringeworthy campaign ever”, but Allan Brown added: “Club having a bit of fun to engage fans…should be applauded! Life is too serious!”
A St Johnstone spokesman said: “The target audience was for kids and families. It’s to encourage them to come down to the game this weekend and get their faces painted blue and get behind the team.
“I know a lot of fans will find it cheesy but it’s just a good bit of fun. The vast majority of comments have been positive but some have found a cringey.”
There is, indeed, only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
Well played the Super Saintees.
