Why do so many marketeers use topical news items or current events to plug their products? Because it immediately captures interest – with the right target group…

I’ve seen so many manufacturers in the past ride on the World Cup to reach out to the masses that I was kind of hoping it wouldn’t happen with the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Wrong.

Crack open the champers

The Germans got so excited about it, every Tom, Dirk and Herbert had football on their packaging. My favourite (for being so crass): this champagne. Now come on, be serious. You didn’t really believe Germany was going to win did you?

But – I’ll eat my words – apparently for lots of companies, it worked! (with one major exception: the company that marketed the mascot for the whole tournament, Goleo the Lion and his talking football).

What all this shows is that whereas football was once the best way to appeal to men, now it’s become more mainstream. Little Fritz gets his fritters and Isabelle gets her ice cream, while the big happy family sits down to the next penatly shoot out.

One product that is already a collectors’ item, for hazelnut and chocolate spread nutters: the Nutella World Cup edition. Look out for it one day on ebay.