Footy is a business, and business needs publicity. But some football-related marketing campaigns generate the wrong type of publicity, are just plain ol’ dumb, or graduate to nuclear levels of offense. Not surprisingly, some of these happen to correspond to FIFA-sponsored tournaments, in particular the World Cup. Below are some we’ve found, in no particular order or severity. Have we missed any? Please comment below.

Don’t Send a Spreen to do a Striker’s Job

Argentinian top-flight club Deportivo Riestra gave a contract to a YouTube and Instagram influencer called “Spreen” and started him at striker during their November 10th game against league leader Velez Sarsfield. The 24-year old “Spreen” (real name Ivan Buhajeruk) was subbed off after 50 seconds without touching the ball. Criticism of the stunt was swift and nearly uniform, with accusations of the club displaying “a lack of respect for football.” The Velez manager was reportedly more pragmatic. When notified about the stunt in advance, he asked that Riestra “leave him (Spreen) in for half an hour.”

Too Many Balls

That’s a risky slogan just on its own, but downright asinine when used as the center point of a media campaign launching a WOMEN’S soccer team! The team in this case is BOS Nation FC, the newest expansion franchise in the NWSL whose season will kick off in 2025. There’s just so, so much wrong here, but you really need to give Radio Boston credit for their in-depth (and surprisingly snark-free) investigation into this marketing disaster: Listen Here

Lick the Face of a Legend

I mean, the concept alone is simply nasty. It gives me the cringies. I also had to look up who John Barnes was when I heard of this one, and I’m still not entirely sold that he’s a bonafide legend… (Gary, please forgive me)but I don’t think the JustEats app’s budget was deep enough to afford a more famous face to be subject to the tongue-lashings. If only this commercial had featured Vinnie Jones…

Manchester United Shilling… To-mah-to Juice?

This one is pretty mild compared to others, and the red connection is fairly obvious, but the audio is just plain whack. The swallowing sounds are so disturbingly loud. Ick. And poor Robin van Persie looks like he’s about to hurl when mumbling “oishi” (Japanese for “delicious”), and seriously WTF drugs did they give Ryan Giggs…??!!

Whatever the Hell This Is…

I have so many questions, but the most important is: Does it come with a can of tomato juice?

Budweiser: Official Drinking Partner Really Good Friend of the 2022 FIFA World Cup

The global liquor behemoth AB INBEV shelled out $112 MILLION to have Budweiser be the official alcohol sponsor of the tournament, only to have the Qatari government announce NO beer would be sold in stadiums, in accordance with the nation’s prohibition on public drinking. Well, that’s awkward, innit? Even more awkward… that decision was announced TWO DAYS before the opening match. I cannot imagine the closed door wheeling/dealing/favoring FIFA executives had to do to talk down Budweiser. In my mind’s eye I picture Spuds MacKenzie biting Infantino in the nuts, then peeing on his bald dome when he rolls on the floor in agony.

The BrewDog “Anti-Sponsor” Campaign

On the surface, taking a stance opposing the choice of Qatar as hosts of the 2022 World Cup seemed like a smart embrace of cause marketing. But savvy consumers soon asked the inevitable (and obvious) question: would their pubs be showing the matches? Er… yes, it appears. Furthermore, they signed a Mid-East distribution deal that also, uh, delivers their product across that region, including Qatar. Rightly called out for hypocrisy, BrewDog attempted to mollify folks by donating all the sales proceeds of Lost Lager to charities fighting human rights abuses. The sour taste in your mouth around this campaign is worse than the aftertaste of drinking anything BrewDog actually produces.

Want Free Whoppers? Get Knocked Up

You’ll have to take my word on this one, because Burger King has apparently purged the social media ecosystem of all references to this truly horrific campaign which offered Russian women $50,000 and a lifetime supply of Whoppers if they became pregnant from World Cup soccer players.
Let that sink in for a second.
Burger King corporate vehemently disavowed the stunt, squarely labeling it “[a] clearly offensive promotion that the team in Russia launched online” (emphasis is mine) and stumbling over themselves apologetically.

Nazi Trainers (or, Know Your History)

In 2002, Manchester-based sports-clothing manufacturer icons Umbro (who at the time also produced the England team kit) released a new trainer called the Zyklon. It just so happens that the gas used to murder Jews in the Holocaust was called Zyklon-B. Uh-oh. The word never appeared on the shoe itself, but did appear in global advertisements until someone at the Simon Wiesenthal Centre saw it and (rightly) raised all holy hell.