So, brand owners, are you ready to play with the big boys on the stage of our planet’s greatest show? No pressure, eh?
Some brands have the heritage and the silky skills of a Brazil. Among that number you might include Nike, Adidas and Umbro. No surprises there.
And of course there’s a natural fit between sport and sporting apparel. But what if your product isn’t the usual bedfellow of the beautiful game? Car brands always seem to struggle. Ford’s association with football has ever been a bore draw.
What advice would the pundits give Hyundai? And yes, expect a few football cliches
Rule 1
Work at it. I wish I had a quid for every time I’ve seen "result" or "England expects" in a headline over the past few weeks. This is advertising that hasn’t even got out of the changing room, let alone the tunnel. As great players say: "Funny how the harder you work, the luckier you get."
Rule 2
Find your position. Where should you play? Are you going to lead the line? Nike can afford to be big and bold, going for the glory of banging the ball in the net time after time. If your brand can’t compete for that position, you’ll have to be more cunning – in your strategy and tactics.
Rule 3
Develop the skills. We all admire tricks on the pitch. And footy-related advertising that’s clever (without being obscure) wins us over, too. Your normal approach to marketing may be a bit "Route One". That’s not good enough for the World Cup and you’ll soon be ignored, as the fans prefer to talk about the flashier antics of your rivals.
Rule 4
Connect with the "Twelfth Man". Get inside the heads and hearts of fans. You may be able to exploit the British affection for an underdog. Your sense of humour or playfulness could charm us – think Cloughie or Five Live. And a real insight into the game and what it means to supporters will make us your new best friend.
Of course, sitting up in the commentary box, it’s all so easy. What of Hyundai’s efforts?
We’ll skip past their TV spots with the terribly lame idea of cars playing football and move on to their free handbook to the World Cup.
This is presumably a tie-in with the Hyundai Fun Parks, where people can watch matches on mega-screens. Someone has to sponsor these things. Why not Hyundai? If there’s any logic, I guess it’s that many people will drive to the Fun Parks.
But the communication itself is as clumsy as a Paul Scholes tackle. The central thought is "Feel the game!". But a sky full of weird, giant footballs or an odd-looking couple posing cheesily in a Hyundai car creates just one feeling – to run a mile.
This brand is in dire need of the hairdryer treatment and the campaign is asking to be sent off. Straight red, I’m afraid.