Gillette's 'Shaving Foam Stunt' to Bypass FIFA Ad Ban Was Just a Social Media Joke

Reports circulating in Belgian media claimed that shaving brand Gillette executed a 'brilliant stunt' to bypass FIFA's advertising ban during the World Cup. The story suggested that because Gillette was not an official sponsor, its logo in Gillette Stadium in Boston had to be covered, and the company allegedly used a thick layer of shaving foam for this purpose.

However, the image accompanying these reports is not genuine. It originated from a joke shared on social media by Gillette itself, which was then misinterpreted. In reality, the Gillette logo at the stadium was covered with a simple white cloth.

Many World Cup matches are held in American stadiums that have long-standing naming rights sponsors. For example, Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, is sponsored by the well-known jeans brand, and Gillette Stadium in Boston bears the name of the shaving company. FIFA strictly prohibits any visual references to non-sponsor brands during the World Cup, requiring all such logos, including those of naming sponsors, to be covered.

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They got us too.

Jeans brand Levi's cleverly responded to this rule with a viral marketing campaign. While their logo at the Santa Clara stadium was covered with a white cloth, the distinctive shape remained recognizable, allowing astute observers to still identify Levi's. The brand also updated its social media profile pictures to show covered logos. As a stunt, Levi's applied white cloths around the signs of some of its clothing stores globally.

Shaving brand Gillette appeared to mimic this tactic by covering its logo with shaving foam, according to various Belgian media outlets, including HLN, Het Nieuwsblad, and RTL. The Spanish sports newspaper Marca and numerous social media channels also shared the story. "By making the mandatory covering look like shaving foam, the brand remained recognizable without showing its name," wrote Het Nieuwsblad. HLN and RTL even claimed that "FIFA had it removed in the meantime."

Gillette itself was the first to share the photo of the logo covered in shaving foam on social media, tagging Levi's with the message, "They got us too." Above the image, it further stated: "At least we were allowed to choose how to cover it." This post is a prime example of "brand banter," online communication between brands characterized by jokes and even staged rivalries, a growing trend in digital marketing.

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At least we were allowed to choose how to cover it.