Kylian Mbappe has left a strong impression on Real Madrid not only at the football field, but also beyond it as well. Following the forfeit of the legendary number 10 jersey, the jersey worn by the French sensation has broke all previous sales figures surpassing even that of Cristiano Ronaldo whom the Portuguese star has always been rivaled in a commercial perspective. It is reported that over 345,000 of Mbappe’s jerseys have been sold in less than 48 hours after launching making it more popular than his own number 9 launch and that of Ronaldo at Bernabeu.
Real Madrid Overwhelmed by the response
This flood was not unexpected, as the preceding months were given to the buildup of news on the high profile move of Mbappe. Real Madrid shops and websites were overwhelmed by the number of fans ordering items which made getting an order to be fulfilled take a long time. In some instances, the demand could be so high that verification system would have been stretched beyond limits.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s record in Real Madrid
As an illustration, during Ronaldo 7 shirt sales in his first season after joining Real Madrid, shirt numbers were selling at a rate of more than 3,300 per day totaling to one million shirts in the first season alone. That amazing rate, however, is now dwarfed by the early day hysteria of Mbappe, which, as ever, makes the whole thing look like small change.
Real Madrid’s marketing move resulted in Global success
The hype is not only a commendation to his play on the pitch, but also to his global appeal. The deliberate act of the Real Madrid management to give him the number 10 which Luka Modric had been wearing became a brilliant marketing move by appealing to nostalgia as well as leveraging contemporary stardom.
Although Mbappe’s first playing season did not have a big trophy, and Real Madrid did not show any trophies, there is a silver lining in the commercial world. It emphasizes his position as one of the worldwide icons whose impact goes beyond pitch action. With aspirations of winning the Champions League fuelling him to play to the best of his ability, the sky really is the limit and so it should be, with the impact he has on the world of sport as well as merchandising.
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