Gillette<\/a>\u201d branding on every single seat inside the 65,878-capacity stadium has been taped over. In San Francisco, even the brand names of condiments have been redacted, as if they contain government secrets. The crackdown on brands extends to the players. Germany\u2019s Jamal Musiala was seen wearing headphones before kick-off in their opening match in Houston with the manufacturer\u2019s name covered over. <\/p>\nIt is part of what Fifa calls its \u201cVenue Dressing Programme\u201d, for which it has hired agencies The Look Company and Wasserman Live to consult on how best to present the venues. It is big business. Brands like Metlife pay as much as \u00a315m per year to sponsor a stadium. But Fifa\u2019s dedication to protecting sponsors\u2019 exclusivity is why it will earn an estimated $1.8bn in marketing revenue for 2026. <\/p>\n
Some of Fifa\u2019s unofficial brands have turned erasure into opportunity. Levi\u2019s produced a viral marketing campaign in which the company covered up its own logo on social media, and joked on the fact that the giant Levi\u2019s sign on the stadium\u2019s outer wall is still clearly recognisable under a white sheet because of its distinctive shape. <\/p>\n