The World Cup 2014 is halfway through and there’s been a few talking points to say the least. Before the competition started, all of the talk was about the ‘alleged’ large scale bribery surrounding the successful Qatar bid for the 2022 World Cup finals and FIFA. But that particular drum has gone a bit quiet, mainly due to the fact that this World Cup (so far) has been described as the best ever. But I’m going to start to beat it again. The other day, just before a televised game was to be shown, I saw a few lads clearly going to someone’s house with a couple of boxes of beer – Budweiser beer to be precise. Personally, I would drink Bud if it was free, but it did make me think that there was a reason those lads were drawn to a bootle of VERY average beer. It was of course the sponsorship and the connection to the World Cup.

So this leads me to Qatar. Apart from the bleedin’ obvious reason that football shouldn’t be played in a desert, it surprises me that Qatar was ever an option, as FIFA is ALL about money, NOT it seems, about football. Budweiser are reported to be currently paying up to $25M for their sponsorship in the World Cup 2014. Did FIFA know that Qatar is of Islamic state, and has strict policies against alcohol? FIFA wants Qatar to meet its requirements for advertising and sales of beer. “Alcoholic drinks are part of the FIFA World Cup, so we’re going to have them. Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that’s something we won’t negotiate,” said FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke. ARROGANT? FIFA? Surely not?

So who’s going to win? FIFA or Islam? Do FIFA need beer, or does beer need FIFA? FIFA need the huge amounts of revenue which alcohol brands bring in. Will Budweiser, Carlsberg, Amstel etc. cut their ties with FIFA and football?

I feel this one could be up for grabs until the final kick, or will it be back to bite them?

Paul Gibson
Art Director

Beldent carried out a social experiment to prove that chewing gum makes you cool without trying to be cool. Using an art installation of identical twins, a group of random people were asked a set of questions relating to the twins. Which seems more fun? Which seems more kind? Which twin is more attractive? The only difference between the twins is that one of them is chewing gum. The results showed that almost always, the one chewing gum gets chosen as the more fun, more attractive and kinder of the two.

What do you think? Does chewing gum make you cool?

Madison Duffy
Account Executive

Happy Wednesday, all! To help you get over your Wednesday hump (or ‘slump’ for many of us…) we’ve compiled a few interesting stories to help start your day. Pop on that kettle and put your feet up for a minute while we recap a few of the stories that have people wagging their tongues this week. Here is your mid-week mash-up…

‘Hangry’ Moments Deserve Jerky?

We’ve all been there. That moment your stomach growls angrily during a meeting, interrupts your boss mid-sentence, an angry wolf pops out of your belly, your colleague tries to feed it a dish of nuts, it fiercely swipes them aside, you calm the angry beast with beef jerky (Jack Link’s brand, to be exact) and give him a sweet kiss on the mouth in front of your shocked colleagues. Oh right, er, never happened to us either…

The Bite Felt ‘Round The World

Ah, Suarez. Really? Again? At least his latest Italian nibble gave brands plenty to talk about as Twitter blew up with funny tweets reacting to Uruguay’s feistiest player allegedly biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during the match yesterday.

New Ad From ‘Hello Flo’ Becomes Viral Sensation

Tampon subscription services? I think it’s safe to say we’ve now seen and heard it all. I think it’s also safe to say if you haven’t watched this ad yet, you’re missing out. Roll out the uterus piñata and have a  watch…

‘The Last Of Me’ App Inspires Customized Art Prints For Loved Ones After You Die 

An app created by a design graduate in Singapore allows people to write and design beautiful art prints inspired by words and images they want to be remembered by after they pass away.

Mike’s Hard Lemonade Celebrates Millionth Fan By Renaming Brand After Him

In a fun stunt from ‘Mike’s Hard Lemonade’, the brand celebrates it’s millionth Facebook fan by changing their name to ‘Paul’s Hard Lemonade’ for 24 hours.  We’ll drink to that…cheers to you, Paul!

Yesterday, Amazon joined the ranks of Apple and Samsung with the unveiling of their new branded smartphone, ‘Amazon Fire Phone’.

With features that include a 3D interface, unlimited storage for digital photographs and motion-sensitive activation (allowing users to navigate with the flick of their wrist), they have officially entered the arena as fierce competition to the current market of smartphones.

It is believed the 3D feature of the 13-megapixel camera will tie into an Amazon shopping app, allowing users to take photos of products in-store, then search for the object on Amazon to purchase.

It has been reported that AT&T will be the exclusive carrier for the phone, and will retail at $199

As the FIFA World Cup kicks off today (yes, pun intended), here is a look at a few of our favourite World Cup ads so far…

Nike Football:  The Last Game

Adidas Football:  All or Nothing

Beats By Dre:  The Game Before the Game

#WorldCup on Twitter:  Love Every Second

Kia Motors:  Adriana Lima Football Vs. Futbol