• FIFA’s “brand protection” policy forces stadiums to cover up any brand’s name and logo that didn’t pay to be a World Cup partner.
• “Brand protection” even extends to condiment dispensers at host stadiums.
• Heinz’s latest promotion jabs at FIFA’s brand protection by featuring its bottles covered in tape and calling itself the “Unofficial Stadium Ketchup.”

When having house guests arrive, a good host will strive to make their home as comfortable as possible. That hospitality doesn’t normally extend to allowing the guests to redecorate the house, however. But for stadiums hosting World Cup matches, FIFA does just that, all in the name of “brand protection.” FIFA makes deals with brands to serve as official World Cup partners and then forces host stadiums and cities to maximize the value of those deals by erasing the presence of any other brands that didn’t pay for the privilege.

Some brands that sponsor the big stadiums hosting World Cup matches, like Levi’s and Gillette, took clever approaches to obfuscate their logos. Levi’s signature “bat” shape is still visible behind the white tarp over the stadium it has naming rights to in San Francisco, and Gillette covered its name with a shape reminiscent of shaving cream.