The FIFA Row - Brought to you by...

By: Olly Wehring - 31 May 2011 17:45

We love a good dose of in-office debate here at just-drinks Towers. Like many office environments, our industry is one of the main topics of water-cooler discussion, closely followed, naturally, by sport.

But, when they meet, it's moider.

The ongoing rumblings at football's governing body, FIFA, have got several of us all riled up - and not just in our merry little office. Earlier this week, The Coca-Cola Co, one of the major sponsors of the FIFA-organised World Cup, went so far as to describe the corruption row as being "distressing and bad for the sport".

Deputy editor Chris Mercer believes that sponsors need not worry too much about their image amidst all this - consumers don't see a link between the actual event and FIFA, he says.

However, I'd bring it back a step or two - when sponsors go public with their feelings on a controversy, they're guaranteed inches of publicity - without having to pay a cent for it.

Coca-Cola is neither pouring petrol nor water on this particular fire, merely offering observers a Coke-branded fork for their marshmallows.