The World Cup doesn't officially kick off until Friday 9th June 2006, but advertisers, like Switzerland Tourism, Pepsi, adidas, Carlsberg, and Rexona, have already started their attempts to cash in on football fever.
The Guardian's Mark Sweney takes a look at the record £1billion spend to get the attention of footie fans around the globe.
Trevor Beattie, the creative mind behind French Connection's hugely successful FCUK campaign, is unimpressed by such a large number of 'me too' ads. 'I think football ads have descended into globetrotting showboating. It has been brought about by people like Nike and Pepsi - and has tragically been followed by Adidas. The fact that you can't tell the difference between brands means it is a waste of money. You can't tell a Nike from an Adidas from a beer from a pizza.'
'Do an ad about cricket,' argues Beattie. 'Everyone knows it is all about football; they don't have to be told. Do what people don't expect. Don't refer to the World Cup.'
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