Brazil in the World Cup 2010

Matches of the Brazilian team are always amongst the most viewed events in Brazil, even more so during a major event such as the World Cup. So, several large companies want to associate their brands with the Brazilian team.

In Brazil, the manager of the image of the Brazilian team is CBF, the Brazilian Confederation of Football; CBF is a private entity, and can, within the boundaries of law, sign the marketing contracts they consider to be best for the team and CBF.

Currently, the sponsors of the Brazilian team are:

Nike. American manufacturer of  sports shoes, clothing and gears. Nike supplies all the uniform set of the Brazilian team.

Itaú. The largest private bank in Brazil; in 2008, Itaú, which was already one of the largest banks in Brazil, announced a merge with another large bank, Unibanco.  Interbrand rates Itaú as the most valuable brand in Brazil. The name is of Indigenous origin and means  “black stone” (ita =stone, ú = black).

Vivo. The largest cellular phone company in Brazil. The name means Alive.

Guaraná Antarctica. Guaraná is a berry fruit from the Amazon, used to produce a soft drink of same name. It is the biggest competitor of Coca-Cola in Brazil; until a few years ago, Coca-Cola was a sponsor, but Antarctica seems to have outbid them.

Gillete. The American manufacturer of razor blades has a strong presence in Brazil. The Mach 3 commercials (starring Roger Federer, Tiger Woods and Kaká) are often seen in TV and magazines.

Extra. A Brazilian supermarket chain; Extra is one of the brands of a larger group called Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf), one of the largest retailers in Brazil. It is a competitor of French Carrefour and American Wal-Mart, which also struggle to become leader of this market in Brazil.

TAM. The largest airline company in Brazil, it is the company flying the team to the Cup and back home; in 2002, the official carrier was Varig (which faced bankruptcy). TAM used to stand for Transportes Aéreos de Marília (Air Transports of Marília – Marília is a somewhat large city in the interior of São Paulo), but as the company grew the name was changed to Transportes Aéreos do Mercosul (Mercosul Air Transports).

Most sponsorships cover all Brazilian teams (Under 17, Under 20, Principals), both genders  (Men and Women) and, at least, as long as the 2010 World Cup. CBF usually doesn’t disclose financial details of the contracts.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 19th, 2009 at 2:45 pm and is filed under business.