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Poulters will oversee the mailing to 18m households in a bid to entice England fans to Spirit Group's bars to watch games.

The campaign, which is expected to focus on football- and price-led promotions, will run in the months leading up to the World Cup, and will continue throughout the competition.

The drinks chain includes Chef & Brewer, John Barras, Wacky Warehouse and Firkin outlets.

The World Cup drive forms part of a broader £2m direct strategy, and further campaigns are expected to involve on-site promotions and door-drops.

Poulters will also oversee further direct marketing activity planned by Spirit Group for later in the year.

Punch Taverns agreed a deal to buy Spirit Group last month. The deal will see Punch Taverns acquire the chain for about £2.7bn and give it control of more than 9,000 outlets, making it the UK's biggest pub group.

Rival JD Wetherspoon recently announced plans to introduce TVs into its 640 outlets across the UK ahead of the World Cup, though the chain claims the sets are not solely to cash in on World Cup football fever.

The decision, which breaks the company's self-imposed ban on music and TV screens, follows an announcement that it expected sales to suffer during the World Cup.

JD Wetherspoon has already begun to screen live Premiership football games in many of its pubs.

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