In a world where a sense of national pride is suppressed by globalization, the World Cup is the last frontier for a fair global battlefield! After watching every game, including the disappointing Brazil vs. Holland match, I have decided to express my digital point of view about the most simultaneously shared human experience on the planet, the South African World Cup 2010.
Estimates are that 700 Million people watched the final match between “La Furia Roja” and the not so “Clockwork Orange.” Such a massive viewing might explain why we now see national heros and football (soccer) personalities making silly fashion statements – i.e., Maradona’s 2 Hublot watches and players like Davi Villa with more hair gel than Vanila Ice - all in search of mass audience popularity and following.
Speaking of the search for popularity, two power-house brands faced off in a head to head battle, on Facebook, for the “World Followers Cup.” Adidas, the main event sponsor since 1970, set a campaign focused on fan-based match predictions, while Nike created a 10 min advertising viral video showcasing elite international players.
After the whistle was blown in Johannesburg, the Facebook scoreboard showed Adidas 1,349,560 fans vs. Nike 1,340,220 fans.
In the battle for fans, Adidas created so much buzz around the official ball, the Jabulani, made by Adidas, that nobody stopped to note that the only players complaining were the Nike sponsored athletes.
So in a billion dollar industry, how could a brand win at the World Cup? According to the social network numbers, Adidas not only picked the winning team, but also the ball and took the entire event.
With that in mind, should we bet your hard-earned money on the teams sponsored by the brand that spends the largest amount of money? I hope that, for the sake of Brazilians, Nike decides to spend all its American dollars in 2014…
PS: Despite the billions of dollars spent on the World Cup Marketing War, in my opinion the video below was the best example of the World Cup spirit. Enjoy!
