NFL breaks up the party after player strikes Captain Morgan pose

If there were a guerrilla marketing hall of fame, Captain Morgan would have just earned his induction. Earlier this year, the spiced-rum brand offered to donate $10,000 to charity if an NFL player struck the Captain's pose on camera during the Super Bowl. Nobody took them up on the offer, and it seemed the stunt would fade into the ether. But last Sunday night, during the third quarter of a game against the Eagles, swashbuckling Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek struck the pose—knee raised, hand on hip, mimicking the brand's well-known pirate character—after scoring a touchdown. Celek did so with such gusto that the referees hit him with a 15-yard penalty. Captain Morgan parent Diageo was planning to announce the return of the challenge next week, but Celek apparently heard about it early through a Diageo contact, and figured what the hell. It seems the campaign will be short-lived, though, as the NFL has promised stiff punishment for the next player to do it. Either way, you have to give Captain Morgan some serious credit. It promoted its brand in front of 21.9 million viewers for a mere $10,000. That's some serious ROI.

—Posted by Kenneth Hein