Mastercard Abandons Goal-For-Meals Campaign

Mastercard abandoned its "goal-for-meals" campaign with Lionel Messi and Neymar after it faced fierce criticism, according to John Harrington of CAMPAIGN LIVE. The company "instead promised" to contribute 2 million meals in '18 as part of its work with the United Nations World Food Programme. The "controversial campaign" involved a Mastercard pledge to donate 10,000 meals to children in Latin America and the Caribbean every time Messi or Neymar score until '20. The campaign, which was promoted on Mastercard’s Twitter account for the Latin America and Caribbean regions, "faced a backlash, with several commentators saying it was in poor taste." Mastercard said in a statement, "We don't want fans, players or anyone to lose focus on the critical issue of hunger and our efforts to raise support for this cause" (CAMPAIGN LIVE, 6/5).