We’re in the midst of World Cup pandemonium here at Post Advertising headquarters, with radios blaring and video streaming (er…during lunch breaks only, of course). But, predictably, we’re even more excited about the inevitable branding hijinks that will always accompany an event of this magnitude. With—by FIFA’s astute estimation—26 billion people watching (that’s improbably four times the world’s population, as pointed out by CBS; a more accurate figure is the 1.5 billion who tuned into the Cup opener), we’re braced for a barrage of marketing cheese. And now, less than a week since play began, we’ve been rewarded with the still-evolving weirdness spawned by a small Dutch beer maker and more than 30 orange-clad hotties.
With the spirit of competition in the air at Soccer City, brewer Bavaria took it upon themselves to strategically outfit 36 ladies (mostly South African nationals), all wearing the same short-cut orange dress in the same section and in plain view of TV cameras. The rowdy gals were promptly ejected during the second half of the Netherlands/Denmark faceoff, but not before capturing the hearts of viewers the world over, and the ire of FIFA bigwigs. The event organizers hastily filed charges and coerced an arrest of the two women they felt orchestrated the “ambush” marketing attempt.
The dresses were sold as part of a supposed gift pack by the beer brand, and no obvious ties to the company were visible. No Bavaria branded signs or paraphernalia were on display. Nevertheless, the result was a firestorm of legal pressure from FIFA and an ensuing wave of sweet, sweet press from sports outlets and macho-minded blogs.
And the saga doesn’t stop there. The man responsible for tossing tickets to the Dutch brand, Robbie Earle, lost his job as a well-regarded broadcast pundit over the fiasco. Just this morning, the purported brand spies charged with masterminding the endeavor cried foul, claiming FIFA bullied and traumatized them during the incident. The posse was reportedly first grilled by FIFA, at an undisclosed office, about the dresses and their relationship with Bavaria. They were also threatened with the prospect of six months in prison. One of the beer babes gave The Guardian her account of what happened. A criminal investigation is now underway. The AP claims the arrest falls under the “Contravention of Merchandise Marks Act” present in South Africa.
But why is FIFA so concerned with this tomfoolery in the first place, especially when plenty of bigger security risks exist? Well, because of precious Cup sponsor Budweiser, who paid a pretty penny to be the official brew of the weeks-long event. Laws are in place to protect big time sponsors from competition, and the soccer league is notorious for placing the protection of their sponsors above most all other concerns. As the BBC reports, earlier this year a low-cost airline was forced to drop an advertising campaign that asserted the vague claim that they’re the “Unofficial National Carrier of the You-Know-What.”
When big brands try to dictate all the action on the field, the small fries shouldn’t be content to sit it out. Guerilla, viral, ambush, whatever you want to call it — this marketing is playful, creative, and effective. It’s no longer possible to shield big brands from competition just because they’ve paid big bucks to erect walls.
And ultimately, FIFA has done more to hurt Budweiser’s reputation with their overreaction, effectively transforming a small, innocuous stunt into a full-blown spectacle. They have played right into Bavaria’s hands by improving the brand’s visibility more than any injection of ad dollars could hope to achieve.
We’re keeping our fingers crossed for more renegade post advertising at the Cup amidst all those garish McDonald’s banners and gaudy Nike and Adidas outfits. The question is: Who should be next?
