It was not a good day to be a World Cup sponsor. The anti-FIFA sentiment is growing so vocal and the corruption so deep that brands are starting to have doubts about their affiliations with the world’s biggest sporting event.
Top sponsors McDonald’s, Adidas and Budweiser expressed concern today over corruption charges brought against FIFA officials, and the indictments were just the latest bout of negative publicity.
Some in the ad world said the backlash could cost FIFA sponsorships. But, in the age of Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and Tumblr, who needs to be an official partner of the games?
“This is an interesting scenario. Brands have found great ways to be involved in big events like the World Cup without actually being an official sponsor,” said Jordan Bitterman, chief strategy officer at WPP’s Mindshare. “This puts a lot of pressure on FIFA.”
Today, the U.S. Justice Department indicted 14 FIFA officials, accusing them of bribery and other schemes. The organization has a history of corruption and was the target of a brutal but hilarious takedown segment on John Oliver’s HBO show. Continue Reading on Adweek.com