“Delhaize takes a risk with its World Cup sticker campaign”

With a sticker campaign that kicked off last week, Delhaize aims to capitalize on the buzz surrounding the upcoming World Cup. This is an example of “ambush marketing,” since the retailer is not an official partner of the Belgian Football Association or FIFA.

“Supporting the Belgian spirit”

From May 28 through July 8, shoppers at Delhaize stores in Belgium and Luxembourg will receive a bag containing one reusable sticker and one tattoo for every 15 euros spent. The stickers do not feature famous soccer players, but rather symbols of the participating countries, to be stuck on a poster that also includes a fill-in World Cup schedule. The promotion raises questions, as Delhaize is not an official partner of the Red Devils, the Belgian Football Association, or FIFA, while brands such as Jupiler, Côte d’Or, or ING do pay substantial sums for World Cup marketing campaigns.

The supermarket chain, however, denies that it is pushing the envelope. “We want to help foster a sense of Belgian pride, with the understanding that we are not allowed to refer directly to the Red Devils or the World Cup. But that doesn’t mean we can’t sell soccer balls or display tricolor decorations. With these kinds of campaigns, we’re riding the wave of the sports summer, but we’re staying within the bounds of what’s legally allowed,” spokesperson Roel Dekelver told Het Nieuwsblad.

It is an example of what is known in marketing terms as “ambush marketing”: a creative advertising strategy in which a brand piggybacks on the publicity of a major event without paying the sky-high costs of official sponsorship. However, this strategy carries a legal risk, says lawyer Bart Van Besien, who specializes in intellectual property, in the newspaper. The Belgian Football Association (KBVB) does not intend to pursue the matter, but the world football governing body FIFA could take action, as the term “World Cup” is also protected as a trademark.