The FIFA World Cup has finally arrived and, just a few days in, there’s already so much to talk about.

In just five days we’ve seen three red cards in the opening match, Curacao score their first-ever goal against four-time world champions Germany, and Mexico and South Korea fans find common ground through their shared love of football, tequila and a good party.

But while millions are focused on what’s happening on the pitch, I’m more focused on what’s off the pitch and on my screen.

For years, major international tournaments have been dominated by global advertisers. The ad breaks are typically reserved for household names with global budgets – the likes of McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and other multinational brands.

This year ITV has opened up regional advertising opportunities around the tournament coverage, giving smaller brands the chance to appear alongside some of the biggest names in marketing during one of the world’s most-watched sporting events.

We’re proud that our client, Bradfords Building Supplies Ltd, has taken advantage of this opportunity to advertise throughout the World Cup across the West of England. To see a trusted regional brand like Bradfords appearing alongside some of the world’s biggest advertisers demonstrates just how valuable these new opportunities can be for local businesses.

What’s been particularly interesting is how unpredictable live sport can be. On paper, fixtures such as Germany vs Curacao or Netherlands vs Japan may not have attracted the same anticipation as some of the tournament’s headline matches. Yet both games delivered entertainment, drama and goals, generating the kind of engagement that only live sport can create. The Netherlands vs Japan match went on to be ITV’s second biggest audiences of the year at 5.6 million viewers. Better still, Bradfords featured in both broadcasts and will continue to appear throughout the group stages.

For those of you in the West and West Country, if you haven’t seen it, then here is the amazing creative for Bradfords that you may catch across the next few weeks. And for anyone else who aren’t in the West this summer, please take a look at what you are missing out on… Bradfords Building Supplies TV Ad

Lastly, huge credit to ITV for giving regional businesses the chance to showcase themselves during one of if not the world’s biggest sporting event. Here’s hoping we see more initiatives like this in the future, because local brands have just as much of a story to tell.

Credit: Jamie Murphy, AV Planner/Buyer