A B C D
E F G H
Budweiser maintains World Cup involvement
MARSEILLE, France (AP) -- Budweiser fought the law and the law won.The American beer giant sold its perimetre advertising rights at World Cup stadiums because of France's anti-alcohol law. But it maintain a World Cup involvement in other ways.
Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch announced today its billboard rights within the 10 World Cup stadiums were sold to Casio, a timing equipment company. The move came after Anheuser-Busch was unable to obtain an exception to the anti-alcohol law.
The company, however, won't withdraw from the World Cup.
"We retain our current position," said Tony Ponturo, the vice-president of corporate media and sports marketing. "Budweiser is and will remain one of the 12 official sponsors."
Anheuser-Busch, the world's largest brewer, had been negotiating with the French government since early last year to obtain an exemption to the 1992 law, which bans tobacco and alcohol advertising and sponsorship of sports events.
Financial terms of the sale of stadium advertising rights to Casio weren't available. Perimetre billboards around World Cup fields have been a key marketing strategy since 1970.
A cumulative audience of 37 billion viewers -- more than one billion daily -- is expected to watch the 64 games from June 10 until July 12, World Cup organizers said.
Ponturo said Budweiser would reinforce its television advertising and other promotions outside France to offset the loss of stadium visibility.
The company looked into the technological novelty of virtual advertising, where ads can be imposed on television screens without actually being physically present in stadiums, as a way to circumvent the French law.
"We were looking at virtual technology but we could not get assurances that it would work perfectly," Ponturo said, fearing a technological glitch could affect other billboard advertising.
On Wednesday, the executive committee of the FIFA world soccer federation decided to ban any virtual advertising during its tournaments.
"We must retain a certain chastity of the game itself," said FIFA spokesman Keith Cooper.
NEXT ROUNDS: Round of 16 || Quarter-finals || Semi-finals
GROUP A: Brazil, Morocco, Norway, Scotland
GROUP B: Austria, Cameroon, Chile, Italy
GROUP C: Denmark, France, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
GROUP D: Bulgaria, Nigeria, Paraguay, Spain
GROUP E: Belgium, Holland, Mexico, South Korea
GROUP F: Germany, Iran, United States, Yugoslavia
GROUP G: Colombia, England, Romania, Tunisia
GROUP H: Argentina, Croatia, Jamaica, Japan
>