Papp-Vá y, Á pád Fe enc
A icle
When he ace o he ad is bigge han he b and: How
Zla an Ib ahimo i´c ede ined ad e ising wi h a hle es
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Recei ed: 31 Decembe 2024
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Ci a ion: Papp-Vá y, Á. F. (2025).
When he Face o he Ad Is Bigge
han he B and: How Zla an
Ib ahimo i´c Rede ined Ad e ising
wi h A hle es. Adminis a i e Sciences,
15(4), 136. h ps://doi.o g/
10.3390/admsci15040136
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A icle
When he Face o he Ad Is Bigge han he B and: How Zla an
Ib ahimo i´c Rede ined Ad e ising wi h A hle es
Á pád Fe enc Papp-Vá y 1,2,3
1Depa men o Ma ke ing, Facul y o In e na ional Managemen and Business, Budapes Uni e si y o
Economics and Business, 1165 Budapes , Hunga y; papp- a y[email p o ec ed]
2Lám alussy Resea ch Cen e , Facul y o Economics, Uni e si y o Sop on, 9400 Sop on, Hunga y
3Má kadok o B anding Consul ancy, 1188 Budapes , Hunga y
Abs ac : A hle es oday a e no longe de ined solely by hei pe o mance on he pi ch;
hey ha e e ol ed in o powe ul pe sonal b ands ha shape ad e ising na a i es and
in luence consume beha io globally. Thei cha isma, public pe sonas, and abili y o
engage wi h audiences o en make hem as ma ke able as adi ional celeb i ies. This
esea ch in es iga es he phenomenon o a hle e b anding, ocusing on he in e sec ion o
pe sonal iden i y and comme cial pa ne ships. A p ime example o his e olu ion is Zla an
Ib ahimo i´c, whose ou spoken, ebellious pe sonali y, humo , and con idence ha e allowed
him o anscend he ypical bounda ies o spo s endo semen s. Applying he Model o
A hle e B and Image (MABI) amewo k, his s udy explo es how Ib ahimo i´c’s unique
pe sona domina es ad e ising campaigns, o en aking cen e s age alongside he b ands
he ep esen s. Th ough a con en analysis o comme cials, he esea ch highligh s how
Ib ahimo i´c’s pe sonal b and d i es engagemen and esona es wi h consume s, o e ing
insigh s in o he g owing signi icance o au hen ici y and indi iduali y in ad e ising wi h
a hle es. Ib ahimo i´c’s case exempli ies how mode n spo s igu es ex end beyond he
ealm o a hle ics, becoming in luen ial cul u al icons and ede ining he dynamics o
b and pa ne ships.
Keywo ds: spo s ma ke ing; spo s celeb i ies; a hle e pe sona; ad e ising wi h a hle es;
a hle e endo semen s; pe sonal b anding; a hle e b anding; comme cial campaigns; b and
au hen ici y; Zla an Ib ahimo i´c
1. In oduc ion
While no en i ely unexpec ed, gi en ha he was al eady 42 yea s old, Zla an Ib ahi-
mo i´c’s e i emen in June 2023 s ill el sudden. The legenda y oo balle announced
his decision o e nigh , ma king he end o an e a. His a ewell as an AC Milan playe
ook place du ing a ma ch agains Hellas Ve ona, and in ue Zla an s yle, i ea u ed a
memo able pa ing sho . As Ve ona’s away ans began o boo him du ing his a ewell
speech, Ib ahimo i´c u ned o hem and quipped, “Go ahead and boo— his will be you
bigges momen o he yea !” The Milan ans e up ed in chee s, while e en he Ve ona
suppo e s acknowledged he commen wi h mu mu s o espec (Kicko s,2023). I was
a classic Zla an ema k, e lec ing he wi and con idence ha had de ined his ca ee o
nea ly 25 yea s as a p o essional oo balle .
The Swedish s ike began his jou ney in his homeland, playing o Malmö FF
(
1999–2001
), be o e mo ing on o Du ch gian s Ajax (2001–2004). His ca ee hen ook
him o I aly, whe e he played o Ju en us (2004–2006) and In e nazionale (2006–2008),
ollowed by s in s a FC Ba celona (2009–2010), AC Milan (2011–2012), Pa is Sain -Ge main
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 h ps://doi.o g/10.3390/admsci15040136
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 2 o 31
(2012–2016), and Manches e Uni ed (2016–2018). A e a b ie pe iod in he Uni ed S a es
wi h LA Galaxy (2018–2019), Ib ahimo i´c e u ned o Eu ope and inished his ca ee a AC
Milan (2020–2023).
Despi e ne e winning he UEFA Champions League, Ib ahimo i´c collec ed an im-
p essi e 32 ophies a he club le el, acco ding o T ans e ma k (2024). He was named
Playe o he Yea 12 imes in Sweden and won he Playe o he Yea i le h ee imes in
I aly. In Augus 2023, goal.com anked him 15 h on hei lis o he op goal sco e s in
oo ball his o y. By compa ison, Fe enc Puskás anked 6 h, Pelé 5 h, Lionel Messi 2nd, and
C is iano Ronaldo 1s (Goal.com,2023).
Howe e , Ib ahimo i´c’s ame s emmed no only om he shee numbe o goals he
sco ed bu also om how he sco ed hem. Known o his ac oba ic bicycle kicks and
aekwondo-like p ecision, Ib ahimo i´c consis en ly amazed ans wi h spec acula goals.
One o his mos iconic momen s came in 2012, du ing a iendly agains England, when
he sco ed a 30 m o e head kick a e he goalkeepe misjudged he ball. When C is iano
Ronaldo sco ed a simila ly imp essi e bicycle kick o Real Mad id agains Ju en us in
he 2018 Champions League qua e inals, Ib ahimo i´c was asked abou i on li e TV. His
esponse? “Ronaldo sco ed a beau i ul goal oday. Bu he should y i om 40 m and see i
i goes in” (Mis e X,2018).
Ib ahimo i´c’s con idence, o en bo de ing on a ogance, became pa o his b and.
Du ing his ime in Majo League Socce (MLS) wi h LA Galaxy, a epo e challenged
him by sugges ing ha Ca los Vela, playing o Los Angeles FC, had be e s a s. Wi hou
hesi a ion, Ib ahimo i´c esponded, “Yes, I am by a he bes ”. Then, he added, “How old
is Ca los Vela? 29? And he’s playing in MLS a he peak o his ca ee ? When I was 29,
whe e was I? In Eu ope. Big di e ence” (ESPN FC,2019).
He equen ly decla ed himsel he bes playe in he wo ld, wi h one no able excep ion.
In 2017, while a Manches e Uni ed, Ib ahimo i´c was asked who he bes s ike in he
P emie League was. Su p isingly, he men ioned Romelu Lukaku and Se gio Agüe o
ins ead o himsel . When he in e iewe ques ioned why he did no choose himsel ,
Ib ahimo i´c eplied, “Lions don’ compa e hemsel es o humans” (Alexande ,2017).
On ano he occasion, while walking a ound Manches e Uni ed’s aining g ound
wi h Thie y Hen y— he legenda y F ench s ike u ned Sky Spo s pundi —Ib ahimo i´c
was con on ed wi h a cu ious obse a ion. Hen y poin ed ou ha he walls o he acili y
we e ado ned wi h images o Manches e Uni ed’s g ea es legends, ye Ib ahimo i´c’s
image was conspicuously absen . Wi hou hesi a ion, Ib ahimo i´c deli e ed a esponse in
his signa u e s yle: “You know why? Because hey s ill don’ know how God is looking”.
Wha he ob iously mean was: hey s ill do no know wha God looks like (Sky Spo s
Re o,2023).
These wi y, sel -assu ed ema ks became a hallma k o Ib ahimo i´c’s ca ee . While
hey o en le epo e s s unned, hey also en e ained and e ealed his play ul side, as
he equen ly smiled a e deli e ing such commen s. This blend o a ogance and humo
shaped his public pe sona, making him one o he mos dis inc i e igu es in oo ball—
besides, o cou se, being a an as ic playe on he pi ch o almos 25 yea s.
This unique pe sona leads o he cen al esea ch ques ion o his a icle: When such
an a hle e endo ses p oduc s and se ices, do he ad e isemen s adap o he playe ’s
pe sonali y, o does he playe adap o he b ands?
In his s udy, we seek o answe his ques ion. Fi s , we p o ide a li e a u e e iew on
a hle e b and models, wi h a pa icula ocus on he Model o A hle e B and Image (MABI).
This model will hen be adap ed o Ib ahimo i´c, using his au obiog aphies and ela ed
documen a ies as p ima y sou ces.
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 3 o 31
Finally, we will conduc a con en analysis o comme cials ea u ing Ib ahimo i´c o
assess how well hese ad e isemen s align wi h his dis inc i e, o en ebellious pe sonali y.
Do hese comme cials e lec Ib ahimo i´c’s unique b and as much as his public pe sona
does? Can i happen ha ad e ise s a e willing o le he a hle e’s b and ake p ecedence
o e he p oduc i sel ? These a e he ques ions we aim o explo e. Based on ou indings,
we will also e lec on he b oade implica ions o spo s ma ke ing and he use o celeb i-
ies in spo s ad e ising. Unde s anding he balance be ween an a hle e’s pe sonal b and
and he p oduc being p omo ed can p o ide aluable insigh s o ma ke e s looking o
le e age s a powe e ec i ely wi hou losing sigh o he b and message.
This is impo an because b ands oday ace an inc easingly complex challenge in
aligning hei iden i y wi h high-p o ile a hle es who possess s ong, independen pe sonal
b ands. While a hle e endo semen s ha e long been a powe ul ool in ma ke ing, compa-
nies now g apple wi h he dilemma o how much con ol hey should main ain o e hei
b and image e sus how much hey should adap o he a hle e’s es ablished pe sona.
This issue is pa icula ly ele an in cases like Ib ahimo i´c’s, whe e he endo se ’s pe -
sonali y is so dominan ha i isks o e shadowing he p oduc o se ice being ad e ised.
Ma ke e s mus ca e ully balance b and consis ency wi h he ad an ages o le e aging an
a hle e’s cha isma, ela abili y, and an engagemen . Some b ands may ind i di icul o
in eg a e he a hle e in o hei exis ing b and iden i y, while o he s may choose o eshape
aspec s o hei ma ke ing o align mo e closely wi h he a hle e’s unique s yle. These
unce ain ies highligh he need o a deepe unde s anding o how b ands can e ec i ely
collabo a e wi h s a a hle es in ways ha enhance a he han dilu e hei ma ke ing
messages (Yu,2005;Koe nig & Boyd,2009;McGhee,2012;Hodge,2015;Kunkel e al.,2018;
Taniye & Go don,2022;Jeon,2024;Solbe g Söilen,2024;Rai hel e al.,2025;Szabó,2025).
2. Li e a u e Re iew
Spo s ma ke ing is a dynamic and apidly e ol ing phenomenon ha cap u es he
in e es o bo h p ac i ione s and academics. As he ield g ows, an inc easing numbe
o ex books ha e been published, e lec ing he expanding body o knowledge and he
complexi y o he indus y (Beech & Chadwick,2007;A. Smi h,2008;B u on,2015;Cun-
ningham e al.,2015;Co nwell,2020;Ennis,2020;Tan,2020;Coombs & Ha ke ,2021;
Dees e al.,2021;Pi s,2021;Schwa z e al.,2022;B uhn & Rohlmann,2023;Fulle on,
2023;A. C. T. Smi h e al.,2024). Closely ela ed o spo s ma ke ing is spo s b anding,
which ocuses on he c ea ion and managemen o a dis inc and ecognizable iden i y o
spo s o ganiza ions, a hle es, and ela ed p oduc s (Bouche e al.,2013;Lee & Alessand i,
2018;Lee,2018;P i cha d & S inson,2013;S a os & Smi h,2020;Leng & Zhang,2023).
Simila ly, oo ball ma ke ing and oo ball b anding ha e become a ocal poin wi hin spo s
ma ke ing, leading o he publica ion o books ha explo e i s unique s a egies, challenges,
and comme cial signi icance in he global spo s landscape (Desbo des,2006;Hopkins,
2010;Chana a e al.,2017).
The concep o a hle e s a dom has been explo ed ex ensi ely wi hin spo s s udies
and oo ball s udies, whe e schola s highligh he in e play be ween a hle ic pe o mance
and public pe sona. And ews and Cli (2016) emphasize he impo ance o con ex ,
in e ex uali y, and e lexi i y in shaping he s a iden i ies o oo balle s, a guing ha
oo ball s a dom is cons uc ed no only h ough a hle ic achie emen s bu also h ough
media na a i es and public engagemen .
The ans o ma ion o success ul a hle es om me e spo s igu es o in luen ial global
b ands is one o he de ining ends in mode n spo s ma ke ing. O e he pas ew decades,
p o essional a hle es ha e anscended hei oles as compe i o s, le e aging hei pe sonal
appeal o build powe ul, ma ke able iden i ies akin o adi ional p oduc and co po a e
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 4 o 31
b ands. This shi is d i en by he con e gence o spo s, en e ainmen , and comme ce,
allowing a hle es o gene a e signi ican economic alue beyond hei a hle ic pe o mance
(Rein e al.,2006;Ka g & Funk,2014;Fe chko e al.,2018;Păsă in e al.,2021;Ka g e al.,
2022;Gülay,2023). In his e ol ing landscape, “spo ainmen ” has eme ged as a key
concep , whe e he usion o spo s and en e ainmen enhances an engagemen and
b and expe ience. As spo o ganiza ions adap , s a egic ma ke ing e o s inc easingly
ocus on c ea ing imme si e, spec acle-d i en expe iences ha ex end beyond he game
i sel (Balkam,2019;Richelieu & Webb,2021;Kase & Oelke s,2021). As he compe i i e
landscape in he spo s indus y in ensi ies, a hle es a e inc easingly ecognizing he alue
o cul i a ing a a o able b and image o gain a compe i i e edge (Skinne e al.,2018;Daši´c
e al.,2021). B anding wi h a hle es le e ages he global appeal and cul u al signi icance o
a hle es o enhance b and isibili y and in luence consume beha io (Li e al.,2025). As
no ed by Lu (2023), success ul a hle es o en embody club p ide and na ional p ide, as well
as symbolizing achie emen , making hem aluable asse s o comme cial pa ne ships.
The e olu ion o a hle es om me e spo s igu es o globally ecognized pe sonal
b ands has become a de ining ea u e o mode n spo s ma ke ing. Se e al a hle es ha e
success ully es ablished hemsel es as ma ke able en i ies, le e aging hei on- ield pe -
o mance, unique pe sonas, and s a egic b and pa ne ships. One o he mos p ominen
examples is Michael Jo dan, whose collabo a ion wi h Nike led o he c ea ion o he
Ai Jo dan b and, ans o ming a hle e endo semen s in o a long- e m business empi e.
Simila ly, C is iano Ronaldo has ex ended his CR7 b and beyond oo ball, building a p es-
ence in ashion, i ness, and hospi ali y. His massi e social media ollowing enhances
his comme cial alue, making him one o he mos sough -a e endo se s globally. In
ennis, Se ena Williams has cul i a ed a pe sonal b and ha blends a hle ic excellence
wi h ad ocacy o gende equali y and acial jus ice. He impac ex ends beyond spo s
in o business en u es and philan h opy. LeB on James has buil an empi e a ound his
name, wi h in es men s in media p oduc ion (Sp ingHill Company, Hollywood, CA, USA),
philan h opy, and b and pa ne ships ha ex end beyond baske ball. Meanwhile, Tom
B ady has used his ca ee longe i y and discipline o launch he TB12 b and, ocusing on
heal h and pe o mance aining.
These a hle es illus a e he powe o pe sonal b anding, showing ha success in spo s
can ansla e in o endu ing comme cial and cul u al in luence. Thei abili y o engage
wi h di e se audiences ac oss sec o s unde sco es he impo ance o pe sonal b anding,
no only o inancial gain bu o sus aining ele ance pos - e i emen (Thomson,2006).
In his ega d, a hle e b anding ex ends beyond endo semen s o include social media
p esence, public image, ashion, philan h opy, and also en ep eneu ial en u es, e lec ing
a mul i-dimensional app oach c ucial o main aining consume / an loyal y and in luence
(G een,2016;Hasaan e al.,2016;Hodge & Walke ,2016;Na e al.,2019;Escamilla-Faja do
e al.,2020;Kunkel e al.,2020;Doyle e al.,2020;Pa k e al.,2020;Su e al.,2020;Ca della
e al.,2021;Um,2022a;B edikhina,2023;Gülay,2023;Pe ei a e al.,2023;Woods e al.,2023;
Biz & Schube ,2024;Magano e al.,2024;Tan i e al.,2024;Pede sen e al.,2025).
The ounda ion o a hle e b anding is deeply oo ed in adi ional b and managemen
heo ies, pa icula ly hose ocusing on b and equi y. Two seminal amewo ks unde pin
much o he li e a u e: Aake ’s (1991) B and Equi y Model and Kelle ’s (1993) Consume -
Based B and Equi y (CBBE) Model.
Aake ’s B and Equi y Model (1991) emphasizes i e key elemen s con ibu ing o
b and equi y—b and awa eness, b and loyal y, pe cei ed quali y, b and associa ions, and
p op ie a y asse s. These elemen s a e equally applicable o a hle e b ands, whe e a ibu es
such as pe o mance, in eg i y, and uniqueness enhance b and equi y. Kelle ’s CBBE Model
ex ends his by ocusing on consume pe cep ions, sugges ing ha s ong, a o able, and
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 5 o 31
unique b and associa ions d i e b and equi y (Kelle ,2003). This means ha a hle es
mus cul i a e dis inc pe sonal na a i es ha esona e emo ionally wi h hei audiences,
ein o cing posi i e b and associa ions. The amewo ks o Aake (1991) and Kelle (1993)
laid he g oundwo k o unde s anding a hle es as b ands, highligh ing he in e play
be ween pe o mance, image, and consume pe cep ion.
Building on hese amewo ks, Thomson (2006) in oduced he concep o human
b ands—indi iduals who c ea e ma ke able iden i ies by engaging wi h consume s on
emo ional and symbolic le els. A hle es align closely wi h his concep , as hei b and alue
o en hinges on ela abili y, au hen ici y, and pe sonal engagemen . A ai e al. (2014) de ine
a hle e b ands as he public pe sonas o indi idual a hle es who gene a e symbolic meaning
and ma ke alue h ough hei pe sonal a ibu es and p o essional achie emen s. This
aligns wi h he b oade no ion o human b ands, whe e indi iduals ex end hei in luence
beyond hei co e compe encies (Tö ˝ocsik,2018;Han e al.,2021;Pomi leanu e al.,2023;
Szán ó,2023).
Sigmundsson (2024a,2024b) ocused on how people become expe s and, h ough
ha p ocess, de elop in o human b ands. Sigmundsson and Elnes (2024) explo ed he
ela ionship be ween passion and expe ise, de eloping a model ha iden i ies key ac o s
con ibu ing o excep ional pe o mance. Thei s udy, based on in e iews wi h 23 expe s
and in-dep h analyses o igu es such as Hans Ch is ian Ande sen, Cha les Da win, and
Zla an Ib ahimo i´c (!), highligh s i e essen ial componen s o becoming an expe : ocused
aining (delibe a e p ac ice), passion o achie emen , pe se e ance (g i ), a g ow h-
o ien ed mindse , and men o ship ( ollow-up suppo ).
Se e al concep ual models ha e been de eloped o cap u e he mul i ace ed na u e
o a hle e b ands, especially oo balle b ands. The i s o hese wo ks we e w i en by
Milligan (2004) and Papp-Vá y (2009), who e e ed o Da id Beckham as he pionee , he
i s uly global oo balle b and. Beckham’s b and anscended oo ball, ex ending in o
ashion, endo semen s, and philan h opy. Milligan’s book, “B and i Like Beckham” (2004),
p o ides an in-dep h analysis o Beckham’s ans o ma ion, aming his ca ee as a case
s udy in pe sonal b anding. Milligan highligh s Beckham’s abili y o di e si y in o mul iple
sec o s wi hou dilu ing his co e iden i y. Collabo a ions wi h p oduc and se ices b ands
exempli y s a egic co-b anding, ein o cing Beckham’s appeal ac oss demog aphics and
indus ies. As Milligan a gues, Beckham’s success was no jus he esul o a hle ic p owess
bu a ca e ully cu a ed b and image, managed wi h he same discipline as p oduc and
co po a e b ands. Milligan no es ha Beckham’s ashion choices, media appea ances,
and philan h opic en u es we e aligned wi h a b oade b and na a i e o dedica ion,
au hen ici y, and aspi a ion. This e lec s he p inciples o Kelle ’s B and Equi y Model
(Kelle ,1993), whe e emo ional esonance and symbolic associa ions play a pi o al ole
in sus aining b and alue. Milligan unde sco es h ee pilla s unde pinning Beckham’s
b and equi y:
–
Dedica ion and P o essionalism—Beckham’s commi men o excellence and esilience
on he ield os e ed a na a i e o eliabili y and au hen ici y.
–
Iconic S yle and Fashion—His sa o ial choices and in ol emen in ashion dis in-
guished him as a endse e , enhancing his aes he ic b and dimension.
–
Family and Pe sonal Values—Beckham’s ole as a de o ed amily man solidi ied his
b and as ela able and us wo hy, ampli ied by his ela ionship wi h he one o he
Spice Gi ls, Vic o ia Beckham.
By ocusing on Beckham’s abili y o anscend oo ball, Milligan also unde sco es
he impo ance o b and elas ici y— he capaci y o di e si y in o mul iple sec o s wi hou
dilu ing co e iden i y (Monga & John,2010).
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 6 o 31
Papp-Vá y (2009) ex ends his analysis, emphasizing he impo ance o uniqueness
in pe sonal b anding. Acco ding o him, a “magic momen ” in Beckham’s ca ee was his
iconic goal agains Wimbledon in 1996. This lob om he hal way line no only cemen ed
his s a us as a oo balling p odigy bu also became one o he mos eplayed goals in spo s
his o y. Papp-Vá y (2009) and Vincen e al. (2009) also highligh Beckham’s au hen ici y
and ela abili y, sugges ing ha his abili y o na iga e media sc u iny and con o e sies
u he enhanced his b and esilience. They also no e ha wha made Beckham a uly
global b and was ha Beckham’s in luence was no limi ed o oo ball en husias s bu
ex ended o di e se consume segmen s. In he comme cial wo ld, he Beckham b and has
aken on “mul iple pe sonali ies” o iden i ies (Vincen e al.,2009).
In ano he wo k by Papp-Vá y (2011), a e analyzing ad e isemen s ea u ing spo s
celeb i ies, ou lines he cha ac e is ics o he ideal a hle e endo se , iden i ying excellence in
hei spo , ele ance o he a ge audience, public likabili y, posi i e image, and physical
a ac i eness as c i ical a ibu es o b and alignmen .
Alco (2023) highligh s how s a s udies, as applied o Ga e h Bale, o e a nuanced
in e p e a ion o oo ball s a dom. Alco a gues ha he on- ield pe o mance o oo balle s
is insepa able om hei o - ield pe sona, sugges ing ha success ul a hle e b ands a e
hose ha in eg a e bo h dimensions seamlessly.
Lu (2023) expands on he pi o al ole o b and image in in luencing consume pu -
chasing decisions. Lu’s s udy highligh s i e key sou ces o b and iden i y— unc ionali y,
social s a us, emo ional connec ion, alue– unc ion balance, and us —demons a ing how
a hle es ein o ce hese dimensions h ough excellence and au hen ici y.
Using da a collec ed h ough online su eys, Lu (2023) examines he in luence o
Gu Ailing, he younges Olympic champion in ees yle ski. The esul s e eal ha Gu’s
appea ance and li es yle exe a signi ican posi i e e ec on consume in e es , while
a hle ic pe o mance, somewha su p isingly, shows a weake co ela ion. These indings
challenge con en ional assump ions ha a hle ic excellence is he p ima y d i e o con-
sume in e es , sugges ing ha aes he ic appeal and pe sonal b anding play equally, i no
mo e, impo an oles.
Compa ed o p e ious wo ks, A ai e al. (2014) p esen one o he mos comp ehensi e
amewo ks o unde s anding a hle e b ands h ough he Model o A hle e B and Image
(MABI). The model concep ualizes a hle e b and image h ough h ee p ima y dimensions:
a hle ic pe o mance, a ac i e appea ance, and ma ke able li es yle. In he nex chap e ,
we will explo e he case o Zla an Ib ahimo i´c wi h he help o his model. A his poin , i
is impo an o highligh he h ee ounda ional pilla s:
–
A hle ic Pe o mance: This dimension encompasses an a hle e’s on- ield capabili ies
and achie emen s. Sub-componen s include a hle ic expe ise, compe i ion s yle,
spo smanship, and i al y. A hle ic expe ise signi ies indi idual success, skills, and
o e all p o iciency, aligning wi h he no ion ha winning and excep ional pe o -
mance d i e b and equi y (Gladden & Funk,2001;Gladden,2015;Pi e e al.,2015).
Compe i ion s yle e lec s he unique manne in which a hle es pe o m, os e ing
an iden i ica ion and loyal y. Spo smanship highligh s e hical beha io and in-
eg i y, ein o cing us wo hiness—a c i ical elemen in b and c edibili y (Ohanian,
1990;Bo ouje di e al.,2024). Ri al y, a unique ace in spo s b anding, in ensi ies
an engagemen by c ea ing compelling na a i es a ound compe i i e ela ionships
(Richelieu & Pons,2006;Hickman & S oica,2025).
–
A ac i e Appea ance: Physical a ac i eness and pe sonal s yle con ibu e o he
isual appeal o a hle e b ands. This dimension unc ions as a “ adema k”, di e -
en ia ing a hle es h ough unique isual cues (S o ie,2008;Shank & Lybe ge ,2014).
The sub-componen s include physical a ac i eness, body i ness, and symbolic ai s
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 7 o 31
(e.g., signa u e ges u es, hai s yles). Resea ch indica es ha a ac i e endo se s exe
g ea e in luence on consume beha io (Joseph,1982;Kok Wei & Li,2013;Schou en
e al.,2021). A hle es le e age hei appea ance o enhance b and ecall and os e
s onge consume connec ions. Hoegele e al. (2016) expand on his wi hin he con ex
o p o essional oo ball, demons a ing how consume segmen s, di e en ia ed by age
and gende , p io i ize a ious oo balle a ibu es. Thei esea ch highligh s ha male
ans g a i a e owa d expe ience and pe o mance on he ield, while emale ans a e
mo e d awn o he playe ’s pe sonali y and exempla y beha io .
–
Ma ke able Li es yle: O - ield a ibu es such as pe sonal na a i es, social engage-
men , and in e ac ions wi h ans shape his dimension. Sub-dimensions include li e
s o y, ole-model beha io , and ela ionship e o . A hle es’ li e s o ies esona e
deeply wi h consume s, os e ing emo ional connec ions and enhancing b and loyal y
(Escalas,2004). Role-model beha io unde sco es e hical and philan h opic ac i i ies,
con ibu ing o an a hle e’s posi i e image. Rela ionship e o e lec s di ec engage-
men wi h ans and media, ampli ying b and each and au hen ici y (A. C. T. Smi h
e al.,2017;Kassing,2023;Glebo a,2024).
As we can see, A ai e al.’s (2014) model unde sco es he impo ance o consis ency
be ween on- ield pe o mance and o - ield pe sona. A hle es who seamlessly in eg a e hese
dimensions a e be e posi ioned o sus ain long- e m b and equi y, e en du ing pe o mance
luc ua ions. This holis ic app oach no only enhances indi idual a hle e b ands bu also
gene a es alue o sponso s and a ilia ed o ganiza ions (Linsne e al.,2021).
I is impo an o highligh ha au hen ici y s eng hens us and engagemen (B own
& Ande son,2023). A s udy by Hasaan and Fi¸sne (2021) ound ha ans a e d awn o
a hle es who exhibi consis ency be ween hei public pe sonas and pe sonal li es. This
alignmen enhances pe cei ed au hen ici y, boos ing an loyal y and sponso ship appeal.
Kucha ska e al. (2020) expand on his by demons a ing ha pe sonal b and au-
hen ici y signi ican ly in luences an loyal y and engagemen wi h oo ball as a whole.
Thei esea ch sugges s ha when op oo ball playe s p ojec au hen ic pe sonal b ands,
spec a o s iden i y mo e s ongly wi h hem, os e ing g ea e a i udinal and beha io al
loyal y owa d he spo . This highligh s he impo ance o a hle es’ pe cei ed since i y
and ela abili y, ein o cing he no ion ha b anding is no solely d i en by pe o mance
bu by he alues and iden i y an a hle e embodies (Ca lson & Dona an,2013).
To empi ically es he MABI model, A ai e al. (2013) de eloped he A hle e B and
Image Scale (ABIS). The scale, alida ed h ough explo a o y and con i ma o y ac o
analyses, p o ided obus e idence suppo ing he h ee-dimensional s uc u e o he
MABI model. Findings indica ed ha while a hle ic pe o mance and ma ke able li es yle
had he g ea es impac on b and equi y, physical a ac i eness played a supplemen a y
ole. No ably, he “li e s o y” sub-dimension eme ged as a c i ical ac o in dis inguishing
high-p o ile a hle es, indica ing ha pe sonal na a i es esona e s ongly wi h consume s.
Lu (2023) also highligh s he impo ance o c a ing ma ke ing na a i es ha in eg a e
a hle es’ li e s o ies, he eby os e ing deepe emo ional connec ions wi h consume s.
People a e mo e likely o iden i y wi h b ands ha e lec hei alues and aspi a ions. This
applies no only o he a hle e bu also o he p oduc and se ice b ands hey endo se.
The Ma ch-up Theo y sugges s ha he success o b and endo semen s depends on he
alignmen be ween he spokespe son’s image and he b and’s a ibu es (McDaniel,1999;
Um,2022b).
In conclusion, he MABI model b idges he gap be ween celeb i y endo semen li e -
a u e and a hle e b anding, p o iding a s uc u ed app oach o ma ke e s, agen s, and
a hle es o enhance b and alue. Howe e , he e a e s ill only a ew case s udies demon-
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 8 o 31
s a ing he adap a ion o his model. The e o e, his a icle will apply he MABI amewo k
o he case o Zla an Ib ahimo i´c.
3. Ma e ials and Me hods
As i was men ioned abo e, he Model o A hle e B and Image (MABI), de eloped by
A ai e al. (2014), p o ides a comp ehensi e amewo k o analyze a hle e b ands h ough
h ee p ima y dimensions: a hle ic pe o mance, a ac i e appea ance, and ma ke able
li es yle. Each dimension con ains sub-dimensions ha e lec he mul i ace ed na u e o
a hle e b and image, as seen on Table 1.
Table 1. De ini ions o a hle e b and image dimensions.
Dimension De ini ion Sub-Dimension De ini ion
A hle ic pe o mance An a hle e’s spo
pe o mance ela ed
ea u es
A hle ic expe ise
An a hle e’s indi idual achie emen and
a hle ic capabili y (winning, skills,
p o iciency in hei spo )
Compe i ion s yle An a hle e’s speci ic cha ac e is ics o
his/he pe o mance in a compe i ion
Spo smanship
An a hle e’s i uous beha io ha
people ha e de e mined is app op ia e
( ai play, espec o he game, in eg i y)
Ri al y An a hle e’s compe i i e ela ionship
wi h o he a hle es
A ac i e appea ance An a hle e’s a ac i e
ex e nal appea ance
Physical
a ac i eness
An a hle e’s physical quali ies and
cha ac e is ics ha spec a o s ind
aes he ically pleasing
Symbol An a hle e’s a ac i e pe sonal s yle
and adema k
Body i ness An a hle e’s body i ness in
his/he spo
Ma ke able li es yle An a hle e’s o - ield
ma ke able ea u es
Li e s o y
An appealing, in e es ing o - ield li e
s o y ha includes a message and
e lec s he a hle e’s pe sonal alue
Role model
An a hle e’s e hical beha io ha socie y
has de e mined is wo h emula ing
Rela ionship e o
An a hle e’s posi i e a i ude owa d
in e ac ion wi h ans, spec a o s,
sponso s, and media
Sou ce: A ai e al. (2014).
This amewo k was applied o Zla an Ib ahimo i´c, one o he mos dis inc i e and
comme cially in luen ial oo balle s o he 21s cen u y. Gi en he impo ance o accu a ely
cap u ing he essence o his pe sonal b and, his s udy p io i ized p ima y and au hen ic
sou ces ha p o ide di ec insigh s in o his ca ee , pe sonali y, and sel - ep esen a ion.
To ensu e a comp ehensi e unde s anding o how Ib ahimo i´c cons uc s and commu-
nica es his b and iden i y, mul iple sou ces we e examined, including documen a ies,
au obiog aphies, and media appea ances.
Among he mos aluable sou ces a e he documen a ies Becoming Zla an (Lage -
c an z & Ge en,2015) and My Name is Zla an (Sege s & Viga ani,2021), bo h o which
o e a de ailed po ayal o his pe sonal and p o essional ajec o y. These documen a ies
ch onicle his ise om a alen ed bu con o e sial young playe o a global oo ball icon,
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 15 o 31
o celeb a e he beau y and lai o oo ball, ea u es Can ona as a cha isma ic hos who
challenges oo ball s a s o showcase hei skills. In his pa icula ad, Ib ahimo i´c and
Ronaldo show o hei signa u e icks in a locke oom be o e heading on o he pi ch. As
he wo playe s demons a e hei dazzling oo wo k, Can ona amously ema ks, “Who
wins? I don’ know” (Nike Foo ball,2011). This campaign was signi ican o Nike, as
i no only showcased wo o he mos ma ke able young oo balle s o he ime bu also
emphasized c ea i i y, compe i ion, and indi iduali y— alues closely associa ed wi h he
Nike b and—while bo h playe s we e s ill in he ea ly s ages o hei ca ee s. The play ul
na u e o he ad esona ed wi h younge audiences, ein o cing Nike’s image as he b and
o bold, s ylish a hle es who play wi h lai .
A yea la e , in 2007, Ib ahimo i´c appea ed in a MediaSe comme cial ha b ough
humo and ligh hea edness o oo ball ad e ising. In he ad, Ib ahimo i´c a emp s his
housand h “a ound he wo ld” ick—juggling he ball and looping his oo a ound i —
igh in on o oo ball icon Pelé. The momen eels monumen al, as Pelé wa ches in en ly,
symbolizing he passing o g ea ness om one oo balling e a o ano he . Howe e , jus
as Ib ahimo i´c is abou o inish he 1000 h ick, Filippo Inzaghi slides open a me al
doo and casually walks in, dis up ing Zla an’s hy hm and o cing him o s a o e
(Mediase ,2007). This humo ous, ongue-in-cheek app oach highligh ed he play ul side
o p o essional oo ball, making he ad memo able o audiences. Fo MediaSe , he
comme cial’s ligh hea ed one and inclusion o oo ball legend Pelé helped a ac iewe s
ac oss di e en age g oups, capi alizing on nos algia while en e aining younge ans.
Ib ahimo i´c’s eac ion o he in e up ion—hal us a ion, hal amusemen —mi o ed his
eal-li e pe sona, ein o cing his image as a con iden ye ela able s a . By blending humo
wi h s a powe , MediaSe succeeded in c ea ing an ad ha no only en e ained bu also
unde sco ed hei associa ion wi h op- ie oo ball con en .
In 2015, while playing o PSG, Ib ahimo i´c s a ed in a comme cial esul ing om
he collabo a ion be ween he eam and elecommunica ions company Oo edoo. The ad
c ea i ely depic s a ully packed s adium wi h ans submi ing digi al eques s o he
playe s h ough an in e ac i e messaging pla o m. The c owd chee s as messages like
“Thiago Sil a, sco e a heade ”, o “Da id Luiz, make a ackle”, lash ac oss he sc een. When
i comes o Ib ahimo i´c’s u n, he message displays: “Ib a olley sick”. Bo h Ib ahimo i´c
and he c owd look puzzled un il i becomes clea ha he an had mis yped he inal
wo d. Once co ec ed o “Ib a olley kick”, Zla an execu es a pe ec olley, deligh ing he
audience (Oo edoo,2015). This campaign was a p ime example o Oo edoo’s abili y o
me ge oo ball cul u e wi h echnology, ein o cing he company’s inno a i e b and image.
The comme cial’s ocus on an in e ac ion showcased Oo edoo as a ech-sa y company
ha empowe s ans o eel close o hei a o i e playe s. By cen e ing he ad a ound
Ib ahimo i´c’s iconic aekwondo-inspi ed olleys, Oo edoo le e aged his epu a ion o
a hle icism and lai , aligning hei b and wi h excellence and en e ainmen .
In a Ni ea Men comme cial eleased in ea ly 2014, Zla an Ib ahimo i´c and his PSG
eamma es jog h ough he s ee s o Pa is, showcasing hei a hle icism and cama ade ie.
As hey pass by, wo women no ice hem om a a and exp ess how wonde ul i would be
o ob ain au og aphs om he playe s. A young man nea by o e hea s he con e sa ion
and seizes he oppo uni y. Wi hou hesi a ion, he swi ly g abs a no ebook and pen om
one o he women and dashes a e he playe s. Ib ahimo i´c, amused by he boldness,
signs he pape . Howe e , when he young man e u ns he no ebook o he woman,
she disco e s no Zla an’s signa u e bu he young man’s own name and phone numbe
sc ibbled ac oss he page. The ad concludes wi h he agline: “Always be su e o you sel ”.
As he scene closes, Ib ahimo i´c ges u es o he woman, sub ly encou aging he o call
he young man (Ni ea Men,2014). This comme cial was pa o Ni ea Men’s campaign
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 16 o 31
as he o icial supplie o Pa is Sain -Ge main, ea u ing o he PSG s a s such as Thiago
Sil a, Sal a o e Si igu, Maxwell, and Blaise Ma uidi. The ligh hea ed na u e o he ad was
designed o align wi h Ni ea Men’s co e message o con idence and sel -assu ance, using
humo and cha m o con ey ha success o en comes om boldness and belie in onesel .
By placing Ib ahimo i´c a he o e on , Ni ea Men capi alized on his s a us as a cha isma ic
leade , no jus on he pi ch bu o i . The ad esona ed well wi h audiences because i
blended e e yday in e ac ions wi h s a powe , making he b and eel mo e app oachable
and au hen ic. I also sub ly ein o ced he connec ion be ween pe sonal g ooming and
sel -con idence, a key pilla in Ni ea Men’s ma ke ing s a egy. Ib ahimo i´c’s in ol emen
added c edibili y and appeal, enhancing he b and’s image in bo h he spo ing and
li es yle sec o s.
While he p e ious ad e isemen s we e no able o ea u ing Ib ahimo i´c alongside
o he playe s, he Nike “Da e o Zla an” campaign ook his s a dom o ano he le el by
building an en i e campaign a ound him alone. This a e app oach signi ied Nike’s belie in
Ib ahimo i´c’s ma ke abili y as an indi idual, emphasizing his unique pe sona and abili y
o inspi e ans globally. Nike’s b ie o he ad e ising agency was clea : posi ion Zla an
Ib ahimo i´c as he wo ld’s mos isk- aking oo balle . The campaign sough o highligh
his ea less playing s yle, audacious goals, and unshakable con idence (Pe i,2025). The
campaign’s slogan, “Da e o Zla an”, de ied di ec ansla ion, oughly meaning “Da e o
be Zla an” o “Da e o ac like Zla an”, apping in o he playe ’s con iden , la ge - han-li e
pe sonali y. One o he mos memo able ads om he se ies depic s Ib ahimo i´c juggling
a ball a op a olcanic island be o e execu ing a lawless scisso kick, accompanied by he
agline “Ge be e wi h p essu e”. Ano he spo , i led “Fea No hing”, places him in a
d ama ic, icy landscape, kicking a ball beside a massi e Sibe ian ige —a nod o his ea less
epu a ion. The hi d episode, “T us you ins inc s!”, po ays Ib ahimo i´c blind olded,
d ibbling a ball h ough ligh ning s ikes and elying solely on in ui ion o a oid dange .
As he s o m clea s, he s a es up a he sky and, in ypical Zla an ashion, shou s his own
name: “Zla an!” (Nike Foo ball,2014). This campaign was a massi e success o Nike as i
emphasized indi idualism, con idence, and he abili y o h i e unde p essu e— alues
closely aligned wi h he b and’s iden i y. By aming Ib ahimo i´c as a my hical igu e who
could conque ex eme en i onmen s and physical challenges, Nike ein o ced he idea
ha g ea ness is achie ed by pushing bounda ies. Fo Nike, aligning hei p oduc s wi h
Ib ahimo i´c’s bold and ebellious pe sona allowed he b and o engage younge audiences
who admi ed no jus his skills bu his ea less a i ude. The o e - he- op isuals and
d ama ic lai o he campaign also gene a ed signi ican social media ac ion, c ea ing
a i al elemen ha ampli ied Nike’s message globally. Acco ding o Macuga and Kim
(2021), “Da e o Zla an” is a ph ase ha uly encapsula es Zla an Ib ahimo i´c’s pe sona.
A e mo ing o he Uni ed S a es and sco ing his i s goals o Los Angeles Galaxy, he
u he ein o ced his b and iden i y wi h a bold ma ke ing mo e—a billboa d s a ing
“Welcome o Zla an”, cle e ly emphasizing “LA” o highligh bo h his name and his a i al
in Los Angeles.
In ano he inno a i e collabo a ion, Ib ahimo i´c aded his oo ball ki o a whi e
obe emb oide ed wi h “Zla an The One” in a campaign o Mic oso ’s Xbox One. In
he ad, he “One” cle e ly e e ed o bo h he gaming console and Ib ahimo i´c himsel ,
ein o cing he idea o being he bes o he only choice. The comme cial po ays Zla an
sea ed egally on a h one, playing Xbox wi h one hand, seemingly unin e es ed in he
compe i ion. A young boy, a home playing FIFA, ecei es a no i ica ion indica ing he has
been in i ed o a ma ch by Zla an. O e whelmed by exci emen , he boy ne ously asks i
i is eally Zla an. Ib ahimo i´c esponds a i ma i ely bu , a e he boy sco es a goal, quips,
“I mus disappoin you; you’ e no playing wi h he eal Zla an” (
Xbox One,2013
). The ad’s
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 17 o 31
play ul na u e and he use o Zla an’s signa u e humo esona ed s ongly wi h younge
audiences, blending gaming cul u e wi h oo ball s a dom. By ea u ing Ib ahimo i´c’s
elaxed, cheeky demeano , he campaign ein o ced he un and compe i i e spi i o Xbox
gaming. The au hen ici y o he collabo a ion was u he s eng hened by Ib ahimo i´c’s
eal-li e passion o gaming, as de ailed in his au obiog aphy, whe e he admi ed o s aying
up la e playing Xbox—some imes o he de imen o his aining. This genuine connec ion
be ween Ib ahimo i´c and he p oduc c ea ed a s onge emo ional bond wi h consume s,
d i ing home he message ha e en global oo ball s a s unwind wi h Xbox, b idging
he gap be ween celeb i ies and e e yday ans. Fo Mic oso , his campaign helped
posi ion Xbox One as no jus a gaming console bu pa o a li es yle sha ed by high-p o ile
a hle es and celeb i ies. By le e aging Ib ahimo i´c’s s a powe and cha isma, Mic oso
success ully expanded i s each among oo ball ans and game s, ein o cing he idea ha
Xbox was he ul ima e choice o en e ainmen .
While Zla an Ib ahimo i´c is no Sweden’s mos -capped playe , his 122 appea ances
o he na ional eam solidi y his legenda y s a us in Swedish oo ball his o y. This iconic
s anding has made him a na u al choice o Swedish b ands aiming o le e age na ional
p ide and align hemsel es wi h Ib ahimo i´c’s la ge - han-li e pe sona. In 2014, Vol o
capi alized on his by ea u ing him in hei Vol o XC70 comme cial, a campaign ha
anscended adi ional au omo i e ad e ising o become a pa io ic ibu e o Sweden
i sel . Dubbed “ he mos d ama ic ca ad you will e e see” by USA Today (Schwa z,
2014), he wo-minu e ad e isemen showcases Sweden’s b ea h aking snowy landscapes,
symbolizing esilience, s eng h, and he ugged beau y o he na ion. The Swedish na ional
an hem, eimagined by enowned p oduce Max Ma in, plays in he backg ound as
Ib ahimo i´c di es in o icy wa e s, sp in s h ough he snow, and s alks a dee in he
wilde ness—only o elease i unha med. Ib ahimo i´c’s amily—his wi e, model Helena
Sege , and hei child en—also appea in he ad, u he g ounding he campaign in
pe sonal, ela able elemen s. The ad concludes wi h he agline, “Made by Sweden”,
encapsula ing he essence o he comme cial and po aying Ib ahimo i´c no jus as an
a hle e bu as a symbol o he coun y’s enaci y and excellence (Vol o,2014). Fo Vol o,
his campaign was a mas e s oke. By ea u ing Ib ahimo i´c, a igu e synonymous wi h
ambi ion and success, he b and ein o ced i s image as a p oduc o Swedish inno a ion
and endu ance. The ad e ec i ely blu ed he lines be ween pe sonal b anding and
co po a e iden i y, making Vol o a pa o he Swedish na ional na a i e. The emo ional
connec ion es ablished h ough Ib ahimo i´c’s po ayal ele a ed Vol o’s s a us beyond ha
o a ca manu ac u e , posi ioning i as a b and ha embodies he spi i o Sweden i sel .
The comme cial’s cinema ic quali y and d ama ic s o y elling u he dis inguished Vol o
om compe i o s, d i ing b and awa eness no only domes ically bu also in e na ionally.
On 22 June 2016, Sweden’s ma ch agains Belgium ma ked wha was belie ed o be
Ib ahimo i´c’s a ewell o he na ional eam. To commemo a e his pi o al momen , Vol o
c a ed an emo ionally cha ged campaign o hei V90 model, ap ly i led “Epilogue”. The
ad begins wi h a scene o Swedish ans applauding Ib ahimo i´c as he lea es he pi ch, de-
spi e Sweden’s 1-0 loss and subsequen elimina ion om Eu o 2016. The emo ional weigh
o he momen is palpable, wi h he ocus shi ing o he pa king lo , whe e Ib ahimo i´c’s
wi e and child en awai him. Toge he , hey d i e in he Vol o V90 o Rosengå d, he Malmö
neighbo hood whe e Ib ahimo i´c’s oo ball jou ney began. The climax o he ad occu s
when Ib ahimo i´c a i es a Zla an Cou , a oo ball pi ch bea ing his name. Holding his
iconic Swedish na ional eam je sey emblazoned wi h he numbe 10, he ca e ully hangs
i on he ence, symbolizing he end o one chap e and he beginning o ano he . A he
end, he emb aces his wo sons, and he ad concludes wi h he wo ds: “Whe e one s o y
ends ano he begins” (Vol o,2016a). This hea el momen seamlessly ied Ib ahimo i´c’s
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 18 o 31
pe sonal na a i e o Vol o’s b and e hos, ein o cing hemes o legacy, pe se e ance, and
o wa d momen um. Fo Vol o, “Epilogue” was mo e han jus an ad e isemen ; i was a
s o y ha b idged he pas and he u u e. By ocusing on Ib ahimo i´c’s oo s and pe sonal
jou ney, Vol o posi ioned i sel as a b and ha hono s he i age while d i ing inno a ion.
The campaign esona ed wi h audiences who saw Ib ahimo i´c as a na ional he o, enhanc-
ing he emo ional appeal o he Vol o V90. This alignmen be ween a hle e and b and
cul i a ed deepe loyal y among consume s, pa icula ly hose who admi ed Ib ahimo i´c’s
ise om humble beginnings o global s a dom (Flo in,2021a).
The ea lie pa o his se ies, i led “P ologue”, se ed as a p elude o “Epilogue”,
adding u he dep h o he na a i e a c. In his ins allmen , Ib ahimo i´c d i es o he s a-
dium o his inal ma ch, e lec ing on his li e and ca ee h ough an in ospec i e oiceo e .
“I come om a di e en place. My mo he is om C oa ia, and my a he comes om Bosnia.
I g ew up in his iny subu b in Sweden. I didn’ ha e much—jus my es less mind and
big d eams. I didn’ hink like hem. I wo ked ha de han anyone. In Ajax, Ju en us, In e ,
Ba celona, Milan, and Pa is. I lis ened, bu I didn’ always ollow. I knew wha was igh
o me. I he e’s any hing I’ e lea ned, you don’ ge chances—you ake hem. You go you
own way bu ne e o ge whe e you come om” (Vol o,2016b). The “P ologue” ad, much
like i s successo , mas e ully wo e oge he hemes o ambi ion, iden i y, and esilience.
Vol o’s decision o cen e he campaign on Ib ahimo i´c’s e lec ions ein o ced he b and’s
co e message o s aying ue o one’s oo s while o ging ahead. The deeply pe sonal and
poe ic na a i e humanized Ib ahimo i´c, making him ela able o iewe s and ampli ying
Vol o’s emphasis on c a smanship and sel -belie . This segmen esona ed pa icula ly
well wi h younge audiences and aspi ing a hle es, o whom Ib ahimo i´c’s s o y se ed
as inspi a ion. By p oducing a se ies ha spanned “P ologue” and “Epilogue”, Vol o
demons a ed he powe o long- o m s o y elling in ad e ising. The laye ed campaign
no only s eng hened Vol o’s associa ion wi h Ib ahimo i´c bu also c ea ed a sense o
con inui y, ein o cing cus ome loyal y and b and ecogni ion o e ime. The emo ional a c
o Ib ahimo i´c’s jou ney mi o ed Vol o’s messaging, posi ioning he b and as a s ead as
companion h ough li e’s a ious ansi ions.
A simila collabo a ion eme ged wi h S ockholm-based Vi amin Well in 2014, whe e
Ib ahimo i´c launched his own lemon-cac us- la o ed i amin d ink. Mo e han jus an
endo semen , his pa ne ship e lec ed his pe sonal b and, ein o cing his image as an
en ep eneu and na ional icon. In 2016, Vi amin Well eleased a s iking ad ea u ing
Ib ahimo i´c deli e ing a powe ul monologue: “So you hink ha I’m done. Tha my
ca ee will soon be o e . You don’ know me. All my li e I had o igh . No one belie ed in
me. So I had o belie e in mysel . Some people wan ed o b eak me. Bu hey only made me
s onge . O he s wan ed o exploi me. They only made me sma e . And now you hink
I’m done. To all o you I only ha e one hing o say: I’m no like you. Because I’m no you.
I am Zla an Ib ahimo i´c. And I am jus wa ming up” (Vi amin Well,2016). The minimalis
ad ocuses en i ely on Ib ahimo i´c’s wo ds, c ea ing a aw, in ima e eel ha esona es
deeply wi h audiences. The campaign seamlessly aligned Vi amin Well wi h quali ies
like esilience, con idence, and ambi ion— ai s synonymous wi h Ib ahimo i´c. The ad’s
simplici y and au hen ici y s eng hened Vi amin Well’s iden i y as mo e han jus a heal h
d ink—i became a symbol o pe se e ance and s eng h. Ib ahimo i´c’s di ec in ol emen
no only in he ad bu in p oduc de elopmen added c edibili y, os e ing consume us
and loyal y. The campaign expanded Vi amin Well’s isibili y, apping in o Ib ahimo i´c’s
widesp ead appeal and ein o cing he b and’s connec ion o pe sonal empowe men .
Pe haps e en mo e in iguing was he “Zla an@Wo k” se ies on Vi amin Well’s
YouTube channel (2018). In his uncon en ional campaign, Ib ahimo i´c akes on he
ole o an in e iewe , su p ising unsuspec ing job applican s du ing hei in e iews a
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 19 o 31
he company’s headqua e s. The se ies, ilmed in a hidden-came a s yle, cap u es he gen-
uine eac ions o candida es as hey suddenly ind hemsel es ace- o- ace wi h one o he
mos iconic oo balle s in he wo ld. Th oughou he se en-episode se ies, Ib ahimo i´c’s
ques ions ange om ligh hea ed o delibe a ely challenging, blending humo wi h he
in imida ing au a he is known o . He equen ly pu s applican s on he spo by asking
hem o name hei a o i e oo ball playe , play ully aising an eyeb ow i hey hesi a e
o say “Zla an”. In ano he ecu ing momen , he quizzes hem on he la o s and names
o Vi amin Well p oduc s, es ing hei knowledge in unexpec ed ways. One memo able
exchange showcases Ib ahimo i´c’s signa u e blend o humo and a ogance. He asks a can-
dida e, “Do you belie e in God?” The ne ous applican eplies, “Eh, no eally”. Wi hou
missing a bea , Ib ahimo i´c ollows up, “So you do no belie e in Zla an?” The applican
quickly esponds, “Tha I do o su e!” (Vi amin Well,2018). The hidden-came a o ma ,
coupled wi h Ib ahimo i´c’s unp edic able pe sonali y, made he campaign an ins an hi . I
no only en e ained bu also sub ly ein o ced Vi amin Well’s b and iden i y by associa ing
i wi h Zla an’s bold, play ul image. The campaign’s success lay in i s abili y o humanize
bo h he b and and he a hle e, c ea ing i al momen s ha esona ed wi h audiences a
beyond he wo ld o oo ball. The uncon en ional o ma and Ib ahimo i´c’s in ol emen
helped posi ion Vi amin Well as a b and ha alues con idence and humo , ai s ha
di ec ly align wi h he oo balle ’s pe sona.
In 2018, Visa le e aged Ib ahimo i´c’s absence om he Wo ld Cup o c a a bold
and un o ge able campaign. A e being le ou o Sweden’s squad a 38, Ib ahimo i´c’s
esponse became iconic: “A FIFA Wo ld Cup wi hou me is no wo h wa ching”. Visa’s
comme cial opens wi h Ib ahimo i´c a a p ess con e ence, epea ing his line be o e decla -
ing: “Bu a lion canno miss hei hun . I will quali y on my own and I will domina e!”
When ques ioned abou ollowing he same ules as o he playe s, his esponse pe ec ly
embodies his pe sona: “Rules apply o a e age playe s. I am Zla an”. The ad concludes
wi h Ib ahimo i´c boa ding a bus w apped in his image alongside a lion, d i ing home
Visa’s slogan: “Visa le s you be he e o he Wo ld Cup” (Visa,2023). Visa b illian ly u ned
Ib ahimo i´c’s exclusion in o a humo ous ye empowe ing na a i e ha esona ed wi h
oo ball ans globally. Ib ahimo i´c’s cha isma and wi no only en e ained bu ein o ced
Visa’s image as bold, o wa d- hinking, and globally connec ed. The campaign’s i al
na u e and wide appeal made i a s andou in Wo ld Cup ad e ising, keeping Visa a he
cen e o oo ball’s bigges s age despi e Ib ahimo i´c no being on he pi ch.
In he same yea , 2018, Zla an Ib ahimo i´c appea ed in one o he mos biza e ye
i ing comme cials o his ca ee . The ad e , c ea ed o he be ing company Be ha d,
hea ily played on Zla an’s sel -p oclaimed “lion” pe sona (Be ha d,2018). The comme cial
opens wi h ominous music as a mys e ious igu e leaps and c awls h ough a bu ning,
dilapida ed wa ehouse. Flames illumina e a pa h leading o a s a ue o a lion, s anding
imposingly a he co ido ’s end. Wi hou hesi a ion, he igu e pulls ou a bazooka and
i es di ec ly a he s a ue. As he s one sha e s in o dus and deb is, Zla an Ib ahimo i´c
eme ges om benea h he ubble—chiseled, unsca hed, and oa ing, embodying he lion
he o en compa es himsel o. The comme cial hen akes an unexpec ed u n. F om he
smoke s eps ano he igu e—D agomi M sic, a Bosnian–Swedish ac o wi h a pas as
in iguing as Zla an’s own. The wo men exchange a ew ense wo ds in Bosnian, locked
in a d ama ic s ando . Ye , in a su eal wis , hey abandon hei i al y and ins ead si
down o a calm, ci ilized a e noon ea. M sic’s in ol emen added an unusual bu i ing
laye o he ad e isemen . Known o his ole in he Swedish c ime h ille Easy Money
(Snabba Cash), M sic’s backg ound was a om o dina y—he was once a eal-li e bank
obbe . In he 1990s, M sic pa icipa ed in a high-p o ile Swedish bank heis and se ed
ime in p ison be o e ein en ing himsel as an ac o . His ough, g i y pe sona became
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 20 o 31
his adema k, making him he pe ec complemen o Zla an’s un amed, la ge - han-li e
image. The Be ha d campaign, d i en by he slogan “Winne s Da e Mo e”, was c a ed
o e lec Zla an’s elen less ambi ion and ea less pe sonali y. In ue Zla an ashion, he
emb aced he campaign wi h a signa u e quo e: “I don’ ollow he ules. I make hem. I am
no like you. I am Zla an”. This was no he only Be ha d comme cial ea u ing Ib ahimo i´c
and M sic— he campaign included se e al ilms, each ampli ying he duo’s in ense ye
play ul dynamic, u he ein o cing Be ha d’s bold, ebellious b and iden i y. Acco ding o
Goedecke (2021), he asse ion ha he oa ing, oil d ums, and i es, all elemen s ypically
associa ed wi h hype masculine ac ion-mo ie pe o mances, a e pe cei ed as “cheesy”
makes he main comme cial pa icula ly dis inc i e. This sel -awa e and somewha i onic
po ayal no only di e en ia es i om con en ional gambling ad e isemen s bu also
signals a b oade shi in he ep esen a ion o masculini y wi hin gambling comme cials.
By inco po a ing elemen s ha acknowledge and e en play wi h adi ional masculine
opes, he ad e isemen aligns wi h pos eminis ep esen a ions o men, whe e no ions
o masculini y a e bo h e e enced and sub ly ede ined.
Ib ahimo i´c’s unique app oach o ac i ism also se s him apa . One o he mos
powe ul examples o his was his in ol emen in he UN’s Wo ld Food P og amme (WFP)
“805 Million Names” campaign (Flo in,2021b). On 14 Feb ua y 2015, du ing a Pa is Sain -
Ge main s. Caen ma ch, Ib ahimo i´c sco ed a ka a e-s yle goal and hen emo ed his
shi , e ealing a oos o he names o 50 s a ing child en. This s iking momen was
pa o a la ge campaign o aise awa eness abou global hunge . In he accompanying
campaign ideo, Ib ahimo i´c na a es: “My name is Zla an Ib ahimo i´c. Whe e e I go,
people ecognize me. They call my name, hey chee o me. Bu he e a e names no one
chee s o
. . .
Ca men, Rahma, An oine, Lida, Chheuy, Ma iko
. . .
I I could, I would w i e
e e y single name on my body. Bu he e a e 805 million people su e ing om hunge in
he wo ld oday. Too many o hem a e child en”. As he ideo p og esses, Ib ahimo i´c
emphasizes he scale o he issue, u ging iewe s o ac : “I ha e suppo e s all o e he
wo ld. Beginning oday, I wan he suppo o go o he people who eally need i . So
whene e you hea my name, you will hink o hei names. Whene e you see me, you
will see hem” (Wo ld Food P og amme,2015). Fo he Wo ld Food P og amme, his
campaign exempli ied he powe o aligning wi h a high-p o ile a hle e who could b ing
widesp ead a en ion o humani a ian causes. Ib ahimo i´c’s global ame, coupled wi h
his bold, emo ionally cha ged message, c ea ed a campaign ha esona ed a beyond he
wo ld o oo ball. The au hen ici y o his in ol emen —symbolized by physically ma king
his body wi h he names o eal child en—b ough he issue o li e in a way ha was
impossible o igno e. By linking his pe sonal b and wi h a humani a ian cause, Ib ahimo i´c
ein o ced his image as mo e han jus an a hle e—he became a oice o he oiceless. This
campaign became one o he mos memo able a hle e-led humani a ian e o s, showcasing
he po en ial o pe sonal b anding o in luence social issues and ein o cing Ib ahimo i´c’s
epu a ion as a ea less, uncon en ional igu e willing o use his pla o m o impac . As
Flo in (2021b) emphasizes, a b and is no me ely he esul o ad e ising bu also se es as
a ool o p omo e ad e ising i sel . In his way, he ad e isemen , in i s na owe sense,
becomes in e wined wi h he b oade unc ion o ad e ising, which seeks o in luence
and eshape alues, including opinions, a i udes, and beha io .
E en in his 40s, Zla an Ib ahimo i´c emained an ac i e and dominan o ce on he
pi ch, winning Se ie A wi h AC Milan and cemen ing his place in his o y as he oldes
goalsco e in he I alian i s league. His ex ao dina y longe i y and peak physical i ness
cap i a ed global audiences, a ac ing a en ion om majo b ands eage o align wi h his
esilience and a hle icism. One s andou collabo a ion eme ged wi h H&M o hei H&M
Mo e collec ion, a campaign aimed a p omo ing mo emen and i ness ac oss all ages.
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 21 o 31
In he comme cial, eleased in 2022, he legenda y Jane Fonda ideo-calls Ib ahimo i´c,
encou aging him o join he in a ligh wo kou and mimic he amous ae obic ou ines.
When she p aises him, “Beau i ul, Zla an, beau i ul mo es”, Ib ahimo i´c g ins and eplies
wi h his adema k humo , “Mo es? I’ll show you mo es!” He hen launches in o a
se ies o in ense, ac oba ic exe cises, e o lessly ou shining he simple ou ines Fonda
demons a es. Wi h a play ul smi k, Fonda quips, “No bad o someone you age” (H&M
Mo e,2022). This campaign ein o ced H&M’s message ha mo emen and i ness a e
o e e yone, ega dless o age. By pai ing Ib ahimo i´c wi h Jane Fonda, he ad blended
humo wi h inspi a ion, appealing o a b oad audience. The collabo a ion highligh ed
Ib ahimo i´c’s a hle icism and Fonda’s imeless appeal, posi ioning H&M Mo e as a b and
ha anscends gene a ions.
Howe e , no all o Ib ahimo i´c’s en u es mi o ed his le el o success. His pe sonal
spo swea b and, A–Z by Zla an, launched wi h bold ambi ions and agg essi e ma ke ing
in 2016, aimed a democ a izing a hle ic wea wi h he slogan “I ’s no abou ha ing he
igh shoes, bu ha ing he igh mindse ”. Despi e his s a powe and s ong ini ial sales,
he b and s uggled o main ain momen um, closing a e jus wo yea s in 2018. Analys s
poin ed o an o e sa u a ed ma ke and he challenge o compe ing wi h es ablished gian s
like Nike and Adidas.
While A–Z ul ima ely al e ed, Ib ahimo i´c’s ailu e was a om a se back o his
b and. His en u es con inue o shape his image as mo e han jus an a hle e—he is a
ea less en ep eneu , willing o ake isks and emb ace challenges. This au hen ici y and
elen less sel -belie , e en in he ace o comme cial miss eps, ha e only s eng hened his
global appeal. Zla an Ib ahimo i´c’s legacy—bo h on and o he pi ch—con inues o g ow,
solidi ying his s a us as no jus an eli e oo balle bu a anscenden cul u al icon whose
in luence s e ches a beyond he wo ld o spo s. Whe he h ough ad e ising, ac i ism,
o business, his pe sona emains synonymous wi h con idence, esilience, and he elen less
pu sui o g ea ness.
5. Discussion
The indings o his s udy unde sco e he complex in e play be ween a hle e b ands
and comme cial ad e ising, as exempli ied by Zla an Ib ahimo i´c. By applying he Model
o A hle e B and Image (MABI) o Ib ahimo i´c, his esea ch highligh s how his dis inc i e
pe sonali y, a hle ic p owess, and media p esence align wi h he h ee co e dimensions
ou lined by A ai e al. (2014): a hle ic pe o mance, a ac i e appea ance, and ma ke able
li es yle. This sec ion e lec s on hese esul s, compa ing hem wi h exis ing li e a u e and
iden i ying bo h pa allels and unique di e gences ha dis inguish Ib ahimo i´c’s b and.
The esul s a i m ha Ib ahimo i´c’s public pe sona epi omizes he syne gy be ween
a hle ic pe o mance and ma ke able li es yle, wo key pilla s o he MABI amewo k. His
on- ield success, cha ac e ized by ac oba ic goals and longe i y, seamlessly ansla es in o
o - ield ma ke abili y. As Rein e al. (2006) emphasize, a hle es who consis en ly pe o m
a he highes le el de elop a o m o “he o capi al” ha enhances hei b anding po en ial.
Ib ahimo i´c’s ca ee , spanning o e wo decades and mul iple op- ie clubs, mi o s his
obse a ion, ein o cing he idea ha sus ained excellence solidi ies a hle e b and equi y.
Howe e , Ib ahimo i´c’s b and di e ges in no able ways om adi ional a hle e en-
do semen s. A ai e al. (2014) posi ha while a hle ic pe o mance is c i ical, i mus be
complemen ed by a polished, ela able image. Ib ahimo i´c’s ou spoken, o en p o oca i e
communica ion s yle de ia es om his no m, embodying wha is desc ibed as he “ou law”
a che ype. Unlike Da id Beckham, whose b and h i es on p o essionalism and amily al-
ues (Milligan,2004), Ib ahimo i´c le e ages his con o e sial pe sona o cap i a e audiences,
sugges ing ha au hen ici y, e en when pola izing, can be a powe ul b anding ool.
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 22 o 31
The signi icance o au hen ici y is u he unde sco ed by Kucha ska e al. (2020),
who a gue ha au hen ic a hle e b ands d i e no only pe sonal iden i ica ion bu also
loyal y o he b oade spo . Ib ahimo i´c’s un il e ed pe sona exempli ies his phenomenon.
Fans do no me ely ollow Ib ahimo i´c o his skills bu o he alues and cha ac e he
ep esen s, mi o ing he loyal y-building mechanisms desc ibed by Kucha ska e al. (2020).
Ib ahimo i´c’s b and b idges he gap be ween spo s en e ainmen and pe sonal connec ion,
ein o cing how a hle e endo semen s a e inc easingly pe sonali y-d i en. As Alexande
and Rosen (2022) highligh , he dual ole o a hle es as bo h compe i o s and en e aine s
os e s a dynamic whe e pe sonal na a i es, con o e sies, and a hle ic achie emen s
coalesce in o a ma ke able b and. Ib ahimo i´c’s la ge - han-li e pe sona exempli ies his
phenomenon, ein o cing he a gumen ha in mode n spo s ma ke ing, he spec acle
su ounding an a hle e can be as aluable as hei a hle ic con ibu ions.
The indings o his s udy u he align wi h Alco ’s (2023) asse ion ha he ela ion-
ship be ween an a hle e’s on- ield pe o mance and o - ield pe sona o ms he essence o
hei o e all b and image. A hle ic pe o mance emains he co ne s one o Ib ahimo i´c’s
b and. His spec acula goals, such as he 2012 bicycle kick agains England, exempli y he
a hle ic expe ise dimension o he MABI model. This aligns wi h Gladden and Funk’s
(2001) asse ion ha memo able pe o mances os e s onge emo ional connec ions wi h
ans. Howe e , he i al y componen o he MABI model inds a unique applica ion in
Ib ahimo i´c’s ca ee . Unlike con en ional i al ies con ined o he pi ch, Ib ahimo i´c’s
compe i i e na u e ex ends o e bal exchanges wi h pee s and media igu es. His con-
on a ions illus a e how i al y can anscend spo s, con ibu ing o he a hle e’s b oade
na a i e and enhancing b and isibili y.
Ib ahimo i´c’s physical a ibu es and dis inc i e s yle also con ibu e signi ican ly
o his ma ke abili y. While A ai e al. (2014) highligh he impo ance o physical a ac-
i eness in a hle e b anding, Ib ahimo i´c’s appeal lies mo e in his symbolic ai s—his
a oos, iconic bicycle kicks, and owe ing p esence. This pa allels he indings o Joseph
(1982), Kok Wei and Li (2013), and Schou en e al. (2021) who emphasize ha pe cei ed
uniqueness can ampli y an a hle e’s in luence, e en i adi ional no ions o a ac i eness
a e seconda y. Ib ahimo i´c’s sel - e e en ial humo , e iden in comme cials and public
appea ances, ein o ces his b and as la ge - han-li e, di e ging om he mo e calcula ed
image managemen obse ed in a hle es like C is iano Ronaldo o Lionel Messi.
A ai e al. (2013) emphasize ha an a hle e’s o - ield pe sona is c ucial o sus aining
b and equi y. Ib ahimo i´c’s au obiog aphies, documen a ies (e.g., “Becoming Zla an”, “I
am Foo ball”, “My Name is Zla an”), and social media p esence e lec his dimension,
aligning wi h Escalas (2004), A. C. T. Smi h e al. (2017), Kassing (2023), and Glebo a (2024),
who unde sco e he signi icance o na a i e p ocessing in building consume connec ions.
Unlike a hle es who ely hea ily on cu a ed social media con en , Ib ahimo i´c’s un il e ed
pos s and spon aneous ema ks cul i a e an image o au hen ici y, enhancing an loyal y.
Addi ionally, Ib ahimo i´c’s en u es in o en e ainmen , including his ole in he
San emo Music Fes i al and he mo ie “As e ix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom”, highligh
he blu ing bounda ies be ween spo s and popula cul u e. This echoes Thomson’s
(2006) concep o “human b ands”, whe e indi iduals le e age hei public pe sonas o
engage audiences ac oss mul iple domains. Howe e , Ib ahimo i´c’s case demons a es
ha such di e si ica ion need no dilu e he co e a hle ic b and; ins ead, i ein o ces his
mul idimensional appeal.
When jux aposed wi h o he a hle e b ands, Ib ahimo i´c’s ajec o y e lec s bo h com-
monali ies and dis inc i e elemen s. Like Michael Jo dan and Se ena Williams, Ib ahimo i´c
le e ages his pe sonal na a i e o cul i a e a s ong b and iden i y. Howe e , whe eas
Jo dan’s b and emphasizes excellence and aspi a ion (Rein e al.,2006), Ib ahimo i´c’s b and
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 23 o 31
h i es on i e e ence and unp edic abili y. This di e gence unde sco es he lexibili y o
he MABI amewo k, sugges ing ha a hle e b anding need no con o m o a singula
mold bu can adap o he unique a ibu es o indi idual a hle es.
Mo eo e , Ib ahimo i´c’s case challenges he con en ional wisdom ha b ands mus
o e shadow endo sing a hle es. As seen in campaigns o a ious b ands, Ib ahimo i´c’s
pe sona o en eclipses he p oduc s he p omo es. This in e sion ede ines adi ional
endo semen dynamics, highligh ing he e ol ing na u e o a hle e ad e ising.
6. Limi a ions and Fu u e Resea ch Di ec ions
While his s udy p o ides aluable insigh s in o he in e play be ween a hle e b and-
ing and comme cial ad e ising, se e al limi a ions mus be acknowledged. The esea ch
elies on quali a i e con en analysis, which, while e ec i e in iden i ying ecu ing hemes
and b and posi ioning s a egies, does no quan i a i ely measu e consume pe cep ions o
he di ec impac o Ib ahimo i´c’s endo semen s on b and equi y. The lack o quan i a i e
audience da a means ha while pa e ns in Ib ahimo i´c’s b and ep esen a ion ha e been
iden i ied, he s udy does no p o ide empi ical e idence ega ding how di e en con-
sume g oups in e p e o espond o hese b anding e o s. A mixed-me hods app oach,
inco po a ing su eys, sen imen analysis, o expe imen al esea ch, could p o ide a mo e
comp ehensi e assessmen o how audiences pe cei e his b and and how i in luences
consume beha io .
Ano he limi a ion is he single-case ocus on Ib ahimo i´c, which, while o e ing dep h,
limi s gene alizabili y. Ib ahimo i´c p esen s an especially compelling case due o his s ong
and uncon en ional pe sonal b and, bu he ex en o which his b anding app oach applies
o o he a hle es emains unce ain. Fu u e esea ch could compa e his b anding app oach
wi h o he globally ecognized a hle es, including hose wi h di e en b and a che ypes,
communica ion s yles, and endo semen s a egies. This would help de e mine whe he
he obse ed pa e ns in a hle e b anding a e unique o his pe sona o pa o b oade
ends in spo s ma ke ing.
Ano he po en ial esea ch di ec ion is o explo e he long- e m e olu ion o a hle e
b ands, pa icula ly in pos - e i emen phases. While many s udies ocus on a hle e b and-
ing du ing ac i e ca ee s, ewe examine how e i ed a hle es main ain, adap , o ein en
hei b and iden i ies. Gi en ha Ib ahimo i´c has been a ma ke able igu e o o e wo
decades, his ansi ion in o pos - e i emen b anding could p o ide aluable insigh s in o
he sus ainabili y o a hle e b ands beyond hei compe i i e yea s. A longi udinal s udy
acking he b anding s a egies o e i ed a hle es and hei con inued endo semen alue
would be pa icula ly use ul.
Mo eo e , he use o neu oma ke ing echniques, such as eye- acking, biome ic eed-
back, and emo ion ecogni ion, could o e deepe insigh s in o how audiences engage wi h
a hle e endo semen s. These me hods would allow esea che s o measu e subconscious
eac ions o comme cials, iden i ying which elemen s—whe he Ib ahimo i´c’s p esence,
he b and message, o p oduc placemen —cap u e he mos consume a en ion. This
would help b ands op imize hei endo semen s a egies by pinpoin ing he mos e ec i e
b anding elemen s in a hle e-d i en ad e ising campaigns.
In conclusion, while his s udy p o ides a s ong ounda ion o unde s anding a h-
le e b anding h ough he case o Ib ahimo i´c, u he esea ch in eg a ing quan i a i e,
compa a i e, and expe imen al me hodologies would deepen ou unde s anding o how
a hle e b ands unc ion wi hin comme cial ma ke ing. B oadening he scope beyond a
single a hle e, expanding he da ase , and inco po a ing consume pe cep ion analysis
could enhance ou knowledge o how spo s igu es shape mode n b anding dynamics.
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 24 o 31
7. Conclusions
While Zla an Ib ahimo i´c o icially e i ed om p o essional oo ball in he summe o
2023, his p esence in he public eye shows no signs o diminishing. His dynamic pe sonali y,
magne ic appeal, and immense social media ollowing make him an a ac i e p ospec o
ad e ise s seeking o engage b oad audiences. As demons a ed in his s udy, Ib ahimo i´c
is mo e han a oo balle ; he is a b and in his own igh —an a hle e whose pe sona o en
eclipses he p oduc s he endo ses.
Re i emen om he pi ch does no equa e o ading om he spo ligh —i any hing,
Ib ahimo i´c’s in luence seems o be expanding in o new a enas. His cap i a ing pe sonali y
con inues o make him a compelling choice o b ands, wi h he added ad an age o his
global each. His au obiog aphy, “I Am Zla an”, became a bes selle no only in Sweden
bu in e na ionally, ein o cing his s anding as a cul u al icon beyond he ealm o spo s.
Documen a ies such as “Becoming Zla an” (2015) and “I Am Zla an” (2021) o e deepe
insigh s in o his li e, while his ecen en u es in o ilm—appea ing in “As e ix & Obelix:
The Middle Kingdom” (2023) and oicing he lead in Ne lix’s “The Socce Foo ball Mo ie”
(2022)—highligh his abili y o ansi ion in o mains eam en e ainmen .
Despi e being a pola izing igu e a imes, Ib ahimo i´c commands one o he la ges
ollowings in global spo s, e en pos - e i emen . His candid and o en humo ous ema ks
esona e widely, keeping him a p ominen media p esence. Whe he e e ed o as Zla-
an, Ib a, o simply Ib ahimo i´c, his b and con inues o symbolize s eng h, con idence,
and pe se e ance.
His abili y o seamlessly na iga e be ween a hle e and en e aine , coupled wi h his
bold, unapologe ic communica ion s yle, cemen s his s a us as one o he mos ma ke able
a hle es o his gene a ion. Ib ahimo i´c’s collabo a ions wi h b ands e lec no only his
a hle ic p owess bu also his public image. Ad e ise s ecognize he unique alue he
b ings, o en emb acing his ebellious, sel -assu ed na u e as pa o hei campaigns.
This phenomenon, whe e he a hle e’s pe sonal b and akes p ecedence o e he p oduc ,
unde sco es he powe o au hen ici y and cha isma in mode n ma ke ing.
Beyond ad e ising, Ib ahimo i´c’s engagemen wi h popula media— om li e ele i-
sion appea ances o play ul social media exchanges wi h o he a hle es—demons a es his
e sa ili y and endu ing ele ance. His humo ous, o en p o oca i e ema ks con inue o
cap i a e audiences, ensu ing his legacy pe sis s well beyond his playing days. Whe he
h ough en e ainmen , philan h opy, o en ep eneu ship, Ib ahimo i´c’s in luence spans
ac oss mul iple domains, ein o cing he idea ha success ul a hle e b anding hinges on
au hen ici y, con idence, and he cou age o challenge con en ions.
As we e lec on Ib ahimo i´c’s ca ee , i becomes e iden ha he b ands he pa ne s
wi h a e no me ely le e aging his image— hey a e aligning wi h a cul u al o ce whose
la ge - han-li e pe sona esona es globally. This s udy highligh s he e ol ing ole o
a hle es as b ands, sugges ing ha in cases like Ib ahimo i´c’s, he line be ween a hle e and
p oduc blu s, esul ing in powe ul, memo able ad e ising campaigns. His jou ney se es
as a es amen o how pe sonal na a i es and indi idual cha isma can ele a e a hle e
b anding, o e ing aluable insigh s o ma ke e s and b and manage s na iga ing he
in e sec ion o spo s, en e ainmen , and comme ce. Ib ahimo i´c’s ca ee illus a es how
anscending he ole o a hle e and emb acing pe sonal au hen ici y cul i a es no only
an loyal y bu also sus ained engagemen wi h oo ball as a discipline.
This s udy p o ides aluable insigh s in o bo h he heo e ical and p ac ical dimen-
sions o a hle e b anding. F om a heo e ical s andpoin , Ib ahimo i´c’s case ein o ces he
signi icance o pe sonal b anding, demons a ing how an a hle e’s pe sona can ex end
beyond hei spo ing achie emen s and become a dominan o ce in ad e ising. The
indings align wi h he Model o A hle e B and Image (MABI), con i ming ha a hle ic pe -
Adm. Sci. 2025,15, 136 31 o 31
Xbox One. (2013, No embe 29). Xbox one ‘Zla an is #TheOne’ TV comme cial. A ailable online: h ps://www.you ube.com/
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Yu, C.-C. (2005). A hle e endo semen in he in e na ional spo s indus y: A case s udy o Da id Beckham. In e na ional Jou nal o
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Disclaime /Publishe ’s No e: The s a emen s, opinions and da a con ained in all publica ions a e solely hose o he indi idual
au ho (s) and con ibu o (s) and no o MDPI and/o he edi o (s). MDPI and/o he edi o (s) disclaim esponsibili y o any inju y o
people o p ope y esul ing om any ideas, me hods, ins uc ions o p oduc s e e ed o in he con en .
