ESPN & Budwiser Benefit From F.A Cup Third Round Fever

Sports channel Espn & beer brand Budweiser have been the major beneficiaries on a frantic weekend of third round FA Cup action. The American based sports channel, who have held broadcasting rights to the competition since 2010, have been busy promoting live match broadcasts through a tie up with the competitions primary sponsor Budweiser.

This has come primarily through the dual campaign titled "Here's To The Dream" which focus on fans personal tales of the oldest cup competition in the world. All of which can be seen in a nice YouTube video below. Broadcasts have also been promoted heavily on Twitter using the hash-tag #ToTheDream as the main point of contact for fans.

Fans also have the chance to vote live during the game for the Budweiser Man Of The Match prize online or via the special ESPN app. Along with this fans have also been encouraged to vote for their special FA cup moment via a special poll on the ESPN website, with the final results announced on cup final day.

Luton Town Celebrate the scalp of Wolves

For Budweiser this is the second year of sponsoring England's biggest domestic sporting tournament, and indicates the brand strengthing of ties with football, last year they launched their own branded  YouTube channel focusing on content on the FA Cup & the brands sponsorship with ill fated side Wembley F.C which brought in the likes of former stars such as Brian McBride, Martin Keown & Ray Parlour, only for the North London side to be dumped out in a pre qualifying match for the tournament against Uxbridge.

On the pitch and a number of upsets have taken place, with Blue Square Premier sides Luton Town & Macclesfield killing the "giants" of the Championship in Cardiff City & Wolverhampton Wanders. With the Luton victory the final nail in the coffin for Wolves manager Stale Solbakken. Other 'shocks' included  Premier League sides Sunderland & Fulham drawing with Bolton & Blackpool respectively. The round concludes on Monday evening when Cheltenham take on inform Everton, which is live on ESPN.

Adult rating handed to Paddy Power 'goal-line' ad

In the same weekend as Andy Carroll’s non-goal in the FA Cup Final stirred an ongoing debate, Paddy’s Power’s goal-line technology ad has landed itself an 18-rating from YouTube.

The 30-second ad is an irreverent take on the possible England football team’s behaviour while at EURO 2012 this summer and depicts Eastern European ladies posing in a provocative manner.

It concludes by proposing “goal-line” technology to ensure England’s footballers don’t “cross the line” while off the pitch and is a satirical take on the bawdy antics of top-flight footballers.

While this may sound innocent enough it’s perhaps the graphical depictions of ‘goal-line penetration’, see below, accompanying which has caused such a stir in YouTube towers.

As a result, web-surfers clicking through to the ad must "agree that this warning will no longer appear for content flagged as inappropriate." See the ad below and make up your own mind.

Paddy Power – Goal-line Technology

The ad is true to the controversial brand-voice that Paddy Power has adopted and follows the bookmaker receiving a flood of complaints for its blind football/cat-kicking ad campaign. 

Ever eager to capitalise on an opportunity to gain publicity Paddy Power has issued a press release labelling YouTube as “the fun police” highlighting that the piece had already had a six-figure view count.

A Paddy Power spokesman said, “This is political correctness gone bonkers and it seems that our censorship friends could do with some common sense technology!”

William Hill sign up with the FA.

Bookmakers William Hill are set to become the latest brand to sign a sponsorship deal with the FA in time for the the third round of the FA cup.

The London based company has signed a two and a half year deal, which would see the brand sponsor the England national team into the 2014 World Cup. They have also signed up as primary sponsor for all ITV live broadcasts for the competition. William Hill now join McDonalds, Vauxhall, Budweiser, Umbro and Mars as primary sponsors of the national side.The deal signal's the brands first foray into English football after recently signing up for sponsorship of the Scottish Cup for three years.

Budweiser  also have a major advertising campaign to coincide with the third round of the cup, when the Premier League sides get involved with the action.  The new radio advert features West Ham manager Sam Allardyce giving a rousing team talk before the brands sloagan of 'grab some buds' is shouted by the team.West Ham take on Sheffield Wednesday away from home on Sunday.