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Fifa World Cup

England v USA World Cup: how the marketing played out

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

June 16, 2010 | 4 min read

Gemma Lovelock, UK managing director of sales promotion and incentives at TLC Marketing disucces the marketing before, during and after the England V USA World Cup match.

But how did the marketing around the game fair? Gemma Lovelock, UK managing director of sales promotion and incentives at TLC Marketing writes about her experience of the marketing before, during and after the big kick-off.

Some 20 minutes prior to Kick-Off, as Team Umbro warms up, preparing itself for the battle with Team Nike, which owns Team Umbro and will therefore win either way, there is a smattering of mirth globally as Wayne Rooney, warming up near the touchline, thoughtlessly does up the laces on his Lower Real Estate 1 — right boot to you and me — juxtaposing his arris alongside a Kia Motors advertising hoarding for a full seven seconds, maybe more.

Wazza’s absent-mindedness is, of course, a fundamental brand gaffe. Every footballer knows — or should know — that Rule Number One™ of the Preferred Guide to Brand Etiquette™ at the Fifa World Cup South Africa 2010™ is only ever tie up your boots in the centre circle away from the hoardings to avoid inappropriate association(s).

As The Star Spangled Banner plays — not that anyone can hear it given the deafening noise of the vuvuzelas — the big question on everyone’s lips is not how many goals will Wazza score but what the hell is Castrol GTX doing at the party? Errr, hello. “The very randomness of Castrol’s presence actually boosts its presence,” explains some smart arse brand guy in a corporate box somewhere in the West stand to people who couldn’t care less.

“Used correctly,” he continues, “randomness is a powerful tool to leverage brands — within certain clearly defined parameters, of course. The very fact that Castrol are sticking out means, well, that they are sticking out. Now, either Castrol are very clever or they are not clever, just unwittingly clever, which is better than standard clever, if you know what I mean.” Nobody knows what he means.

At 7:30pm BST the first break in commercials, aka the Big Match, commences. Four minutes in and McDonald’s stock goes supersize as Gerrard sticks the Sphere of Adidas into the back of the net and slides right in front of the Golden Arches on his knees, delirious, as if in prayer. Stevie Gerrard in genuflection before the holy arches. Big tick.

Instantly, William Hill and Ladbrokes brand schrapnel embeds in the consciousness of three million plus gambling Brits, envisioning their slips, wondering if they backed Gerrard to score the first goal, or was it Wazza? Bets are won and bets are lost. Primarily they are lost.

Just before the end of the first half, and just — typically — as the Continental tyres and Stay Alert South Africa hoardings are in shot, Rob Green, whoever the hell he is, lets the ball slip right out of his hands and into the net.

Within seconds, Green’s agent, on the advice of one ‘Turnip’ Taylor, who has proved himself to be somewhat adept at the art of the comeback following a similar national fall from grace, starts emergency negotiations with Pizza Hut.

“To get back to the peak of your sport, as any mountaineer will know,” reflects the Turnip, “you have to set your base camp and there is no better base than the Tuscani, the thinnest, lightest, crispiest pizza base yet. Just add a sprinkling of sporting ineptitude and the journey back to the Olympian heights of your profession will begin.” Amen.

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