Just as it was at the Super Bowl and at every other ad-heavy event, the FIFA brand police are out at the World Cup protecting the brands that have paid for the privilege of sponsoring the event. The BBC reports 1,000 Dutch fand had to watch their team play Ivory Coast in their underwear because they were all wearing orange pants branded with a Dutch Brewer which had been provided by the viewer. It’s the whole ambush marketing thing and everyone’s doing it. But, those that tried should have followed Heineken’s lead used in a recent viral that ended with fans expanding little green hats into Heineken-branded megaphones. The article goes on to explain how marketers have earned the right for exclusivity and how some feel they should be able to wear whatever they want. As it is every time this comes up, it’s the same old thing. Nothing is resolved. Marketers continue to complain. Officials do their thing and people continue to wear whatever they want.
