Non-sponsor Solo launches competition to get Socceroo fans to South Africa
Soft drink brand Solo has launched a major South Africa themed football promotion featuring Socceroo Harry Kewell, despite sponsorship rights to the World Cup being held by rival brand Coca-Cola.
In what looks like a classic example of ambush marketing, the promo – titled Everything But A Ticket – avoids making any direct mention of the tournament, but offers fans the chance to be in South Africa while the competition takes place in June.
A carefully scripted ad for the Schweppes Australia-owned brand to promote the competition entirely avoids using the words “football” or “World Cup”. In the commercial, the presenter says: “The legal guys tell us we aren’t allowed to give away tickets to a certain South African festival of the round ball.”
After revealing that the prize includes flights to South African, the presenter stresses there’s also “Five grand to spend however you like”, in what some viewers might take as a hint that it can be used to buy tickets to see games.
The Socceroos have qualified for the competition, and the Solo promotion is like to be the first of many high profile campaigns by brands trying to tie themselves to the event without the multi million dollar cost of sponsorship.
FIFA – the world football body- is famed for the lengths it will go to to protect its sponsors from rivals cashing in. However, this mainly focuses on its trademarks and logos, which the Solo ad has avoided using. But it is likely that the ad will still be closely scrutinised both by FIFA and Coca-Cola.
On its website, FIFA says: “FIFA’s primary objective is to put a stop to the systematic, commercial abuse of its event marks on a wide scale in order to safeguard the rights of its partners.”
The Solo commercial also features a one second cameo from Socceroo Harry Kewell. Blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearances from Kewell are becoming a habit for Solo. He also featured in a single shot of last August’s ad – created by BMF – to reposition Solo around soccer.
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Right or wrong i like it.
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It’s not like they don’t have any link whatsoever – they are a sponsor of the Socceroos and the FFA would have approved the campaign. Solo have done a nice job and have pushed the boundaries further than most big brands.
But real ambush would be if they had no association whatsoever – like Tango did during Euro 2000. “Tango: Officially a drink during Euro 2000” – not a fan of ambushers but that piece was brilliant.
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I’m not sure I’m anti ambush marketing myself, if it’s clever.
This is, I’m sure, going to be the first of many betwen now and June. It’ll probably be one of the better executions too.
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
I like the ambush ad, particularly the closing line from the CEO. Made me chuckle.
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I wouldn’t consider this an ambush. The solo ad with the Harry Kewell cameo has been running since before World Cup Qualification as Solo is the official soft drink sponsor of the FFA (I’m sure if you looked around google you’d find that press release).
They’re making it look more ambush like than it is, they would definitely be allowed to mention the word Football (FIFA don’t have a legal right to the word) and they’d even be allowed to mention the Socceroos.
I think they’ve done a good job here, I actually think they probably could give away tickets, given Fox Sports can and they’re not a broadcast partner.
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Ultimately ambush marketing’s merit rests on the public response. If folks respond without seeing it as a tacky cash-in, then its a success. If the public are turned off because the campaign disrespects their passion or their intelligence, then its a failure irrespective of what the ad industry thinks.
I think it will work, it respects the game and addresses the passion of fans. I don’t think the target consumer cares about sponsorship deals and FIFA’s revenues, which the ad playfully acknowledges.
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nice work Solo – it doesn’t have the hallmarks of the ‘tacky cash-in’ at all
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It’s good. Real good.
Sensational guerilla strategy, not a tacky cash-in. A good, strong continuation of the kick-a-can campaign anyway.
Ambush? Sure. Will it take market share from the official sponsor? Maybe, but it’s a free market and official sponsorship, in this context, only affords access to logos, visuals, intellectual property, etc. It doesn’t prevent competitors from leveraging the event with clever strategy, which Solo has done.
Nice work.
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Hi Chris,
I’m not sure about the giving away tickets bit. This from FIFA’s website:
“Furthermore, it is not about small private enterprises that unsuspectingly give away World Cup tickets in prize draws or similar contests either. Cases like this are usually resolved swiftly out of court through an explanatory telephone call or a letter. Less that 20% of all incidents (approximately 700) actually ended up in the courts. This is because FIFA clearly differentiates between the deliberate commercial abuse of marks and descriptive use, and therefore carefully reviews each case on an individual basis, with the extent of any infringement determining whether or not FIFA issues a caution in order to safeguard its rights.”
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
This ad is superb! As long as they stay within the rules, they’re fine.
Several years ago, we did something similar in Paris. We (client and agency) got the support of a Tongan rugby player to change his name to the sponsor of the team through deedpoll. To say it was a success, is an understatement.
Can you imagine the commentators saying, and the ball gets passed to Matt Gateau who passes it to PADDY POWER (?!?!). In this case, it was a Tongan fly half. Yup, thats what happened and the agency partner won the PR Award for the UK (2007).
I can just see the commentators saying “Tim Cahill passes to Harry ‘Solo’ and GOOOOOOOOL!!! 😉
Cheers Tim.
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Thanks Mumbrella for explaining the concept and directing me to the TVC.
I nearly drove off the road trying to figure out the metrolite posters, which on their own are very confusing.
Or maybe I drive too fast.
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The outdoor billboards are possible the worst I’ve ever seen – I agree with Tony above. What is it with advertising agencies and cramming on 50 lines of text and tiny visuals! Surely someone has learnt by now – big branding, one line is a bout all that works!!
However the TV redeems it a bit, its pretty stock standard humour, don’t actually think its that interesting but the concet is clever – but wonder if Coke will come after them anyway for it?
The Pepsi/Schweppes alliance have certainly started the year with a big bang, can’t go 5 metres without running into one of their products advertising!
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I think it’s a nice ad if you work in advertising or marketing and understand the limitations of sponsorship and how frustrating they are.
But my mate Bob who carts wheelbarrows full of cowshit around all day wouldn’t give two tosses about this, or even understand it.
So for a highly targeted market of 5000-odd people, this is great.
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Interesting example Mahei. Garry Hocking changed his name by deed poll to “Whiskas” in 1998 for one game of Aussie Rules.
It was ridiculous. Commentators refused to use the name.
I guess where you succeeded was by using an unknown player in a large tournament, replacing his name with something that actually is a legitimate sounding name, as opposed to a cat food brand. Thus, the commentators probably didn’t know anything different. I guess you could have easily done it for another large European gambling brand – William Hill.
I’d love to know who came up with that absolute gem for the Mars Pet Food team.
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Good stuff
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Thanks BG for your reply.
William Hill would’ve been nice too, however, it came down to connections. Through a celebrity friend of the team, we were connected with Paddy Power.
I guess having a normal sounding name helped as opposed to a brand’s name. This was only part of the campaign. The rest of the campaign involved some real smarts to attract the attention of the world media, which we did.
When the IRB began their all out assault in trying to stop the campaign with threats to kick the team out of the tournament, to banning green wigs, etc, that was when we knew the campaign was a success because that was all that was needed for the media to be all over it.
Then it was a case of feeding the media frenzy with backstories on the players, the team, the country and what we planned to do (marketing-wise) for the rest of the tournament.
The team received massive word of mouth play at the tournament and an industry award for PR at the end of it.
Client received massive ROI, the agency an award, the Tongan team a lot of PR coverage.
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And who could forget a horse called Sanyo Music Centre as a way of getting on the BBC’s Horse of the Year show way back in 1980. Clive James write about it here: http://www.clivejames.com/book...../31Aug1980
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
I loved it. I thought it was extremely clever, it made me laugh, and it’s causing discussion, therefore it’s doing it’s job. Onya Solo.
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what does ceo say at the end?
hard to understand
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something something something ticket i dunno
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