The Football Fever

CEBU, Philippines - The current global football fever has definitely encroached into the other areas of modern life. In fact, many products and businesses have taken part of the trend. And they are not limited only to the brands directly involved in the sports industry.

Rustan's Supermarket, in Banawa and Ayala Center Cebu, recently ran a promo that gave away Adidas Brazuca Balls. For a specified minimum purchase, customers got their chance to bring home the official match ball of the 2014 FIFA World Cup! Cool football memorabilia are also being made available at Shopwise along N. Bacalso Avenue, in the city's Basak San Nicolas district.

For its part, Brazil's well-loved flip-flops brand, Havaianas, spreads the love for football by coming out with a special set of flip-flops that celebrate the sport's greatest teams. The limited edition Team Havaianas Collection is intended for FIFA fans and football lovers, as it features designs of the world's most iconic football national teams, led by the powerhouses Brazil, Spain, Argentina, France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Portugal, among others. As tribute to the brand's Brazilian roots, the collection also features two new Brazil Slim styles.

What's more interesting is that a portion of the sales from the Team Havaianas Collection goes to the Field of Hope, a long-term advocacy program that was started by Futkalero Pedro (Futkal founder Peter Amores) to rehabilitate communities that were affected by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), using football as a tool for social change and development. The project specifically aims to help the children recover from the trauma, rebuild their lives, and put them on the road to a brighter future through football programs. Futkalero Pedro invites people to "have a taste of the beautiful game outside the pitch. It's not just a game, it's a way of life."

In Cebu, the Havaianas Teams Collection is available in All Flip-Flops stores in Ayala Center Cebu, Northwing of SM City Cebu, SM City Consolacion, and other outlets as listed at www.havaianas.com. (FREEMAN)