Last weekend, I caught a glimpse of an Eagles game highlight and saw something that made me smile. And no, it wasn’t just because the Eagles lost. Being a long-time Steelers and anything Pittsburgh fan, I rarely enjoy anything the Eagles do. This was slightly different.

My slight cringe following a Brent Celek score quickly turned to a smile as Celek struck the Captain Morgan pose. It was no OchoCinco celebration, but it grabbed my attention for another reason. It turns out that Captain Morgan had created a promotion in which NFL Players were encouraged to strike the pose after key plays throughout the games. In return, Captain Morgan would make monetary contributions to various charities, including Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund which benefits retired NFL players with health problems.

Celek jumped the gun and struck the pose a week early. It would’ve slid (this time) until another player helped adjust his pose and drew a flag for a “team celebration”. The NFL quickly caught on to the scheme by Captain Morgan and threatened players with hefty fines if the pose was struck again.

I understand and commend the NFL and Roger Goodell’s policies to keep the league and its players under control, but I also commend Captain Morgan for thinking outside of the box. With the ever-changing media landscape, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for advertisers to stay ahead of the curve and reach their audiences in novel ways. This type of theatre, or guerilla marketing, achieved just that.

So Celek ended the promo early. The false start just may have saved Captain Morgan thousands of dollars in charitable donations (possibly good for them, definitely not good for Gridiron Greats), but the subsequent PR from uncovering this scheme just may have gotten Captain Morgan the attention they wanted.

I just read an article about Vick getting a second chance with Nike — further proof that it’s possible for brands to get and give second chances. While other brands have turned their back on Vick after his 2007 sentencing for his lead role in organizing a dog fighting ring, Nike’s asked him back into their franchise of stud athletes. Seems as though Vick is getting recognized for his potential once again.

According to a recent article on ESPN.com, Nike, which signed Vick as a rookie in 2001, terminated his contract in August 2007 after the Atlanta Falcons star filed a plea agreement admitting his involvement in the dog fighting operation. At the time, Nike called cruelty to animals “inhumane, abhorrent and unacceptable” and halted release of his fifth signature shoe, the Air Zoom Vick V.

His first official game back was less than stellar, but I guess the Nike brand team, who knows a thing or two about making the right decisions, thinks the risk is worth the reward. I mean, after all, he was convicted and served his time, and now its time for his second chance… whatever that might be.

Nike obviously believes he has some selling power and that selling power is worth associating their brand with him. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out — the sponsorship deal, his professional career and ultimately how he handles his second chance. For his brand, one of the biggest things in his favor is that people have short memories both on and off the field. From my perspective, what he did was awful — there is no excuse for it. But now that he’s paid his debt to society, he is entitled to his second chance, whatever that might be and whatever he makes of it.

As someone who works in marketing, Vick’s involvement with Nike adds another dimension of interest for me. What Nike did is risky and we’ll find out soon enough if its worth the reward.

UPDATE: A day after Vick’s agent announced the star’s supposed return to Team Nike, Nike themselves denounced the news, saying the company has no “contractual relationship” with Vick and claiming only that Nike has “agreed to supply product to Michael Vick as we do a number of athletes who are not under contract with Nike.” Maybe they’re not ready to give him a second chance after all. At least not yet.