Brands use music to speak globally in World Cup

Companies that are advertising for the World Cup are hoping music will strike a chord with fans globally.

Because the FIFA World Cup, the international soccer tournament that began on Thursday, is the most popular sports event on the planet, advertisers want to take advantage of the large viewing audience. But the World Cup poses problems for companies that are used to making a splash at big sporting events like the Super Bowl with a pricey 30second spot.

First off, soccer doesn’t have very many commercial breaks, with two 45-minutes halves played mostly straight through. Additionally, soccer is a global event, so it’s hard to make TV ads that translate across

FELIPE DANA/AP PHOTO Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte, left, and rapper Pitbull at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Claudia Leitte and Pitbull will perform the World Cup song with Jennifer Lopez.