The world is round

MARKETING: Brace yourself: ESPN, Coca-Cola and Adidas are not going to let your gaze stray far from the great big ball this summer.

It's going to be one hot and high-adrenalin summer this year "" with football, football and more football. How much football is that? Try 32 billion viewing hours, all thanks to the forthcoming FIFA World Cup 2006.

That's the least TV expects. That figure could come from a billion people (the 2002 Cup record) watching an average 32 hours of football, or more people (surely more than 2002) watching an average of a little less, or any other such combination. Whatever the specifics, anyone who gets to watch the action live can be considered something of a hero.

That's the thrill that the official broadcaster ESPN Star Sports is using in partnership with official sponsor Coca-Cola, for a contest called Gyarah Hindustani ("11 Indians", that is). To reach a crescendo on June 5, this is about a big search for 11 lucky Indians who will be sent on to Germany to watch the games live.

"The World Cup is a huge property and the ratings in the past have been very healthy," says Nirmal Dayani, director marketing, ESPN.

The contest, Dayani adds, goes well with the channel's latest slogan, "Duniya Gol Hai" (the world is round), which portrays planet Earth as one big living football "" with everyone invited to join the fun.

The contest format is simple: you must correctly answer any one of eight questions, clues for which are provided on the insides of 500-ml Coca-Cola bottle labels.

ESPN also plans another activity with Adidas. "All I can say for now is that it will be targeted at children and the promos will go on air by Wednesday," confides Dayani.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola, which has had Word Cup stadium advertising rights since 1950 (now extended for another 16 years until 2022), is busy doing its own round-planet number to generate excitement for the Cup.

Besides the contest with ESPN, it's tied up with Adidas for its Seven City Challenge. Then it has a swelter of online media contests running at myenjoyzone.com. The cola major has also launched its new World Cup Fever Logo. The Flat Earth Society had better run for cover.