Chevrolet is "right in the middle of sponsorship of a huge athletic contest" with a global audience that "could far exceed that of the Super Bowl," when EPL clubs Manchester United and Liverpool FC play Sunday, according to Dale Buss of FORBES.com. General Motors Interim CMO Alan Batey said the platform is "huge for us, and it’s really only the beginning of our relationship" with the teams and league. Buss reported Chevy is marketing Sunday’s match in three ways: a "social campaign featuring videos of each team's players talking about the sport on Facebook with its ChevroletFC (for 'fan club') platform," as well as "'on-ground' appearances of signage and various Chevy vehicles and activities at Old Trafford ... and a cause-driven sponsorship of 'One World Futbol Project,' the charity co-founded by musician Sting." Given the intensity of the ManU-Liverpool rivalry, it is "hardly surprising that Chevrolet has stepped into some controversy surrounding the game." An ad already running in the U.K. has "set the social media universe ablaze because it makes it seem as if the rivals are united by fusing together the faces of players from the opposing teams, uttering the same words." Cadillac and Chevrolet Europe Dir of Communications Vijay Iyer said, "We’re feeding on the rivalry but talking about what unifies them" (FORBES.com, 1/10).
