World Cup (Interactive) Fever 2010

Capitalizing off of the frenzy of the World Cup is currently on the minds of most major brands, because millions of viewers will tune in to watch soccer matches. This year in particular, there are many creative interactive World Cup experiences. Here are a few favorites to whet your appetite for the beautiful game:


• FIFA.com is the mother ship of the tournament, including videos, match casts, statistics and other content.


• Marca.com's Calendar Wheel offers an innovative experience to view tournament content. Also, make sure to check out this complex scheduled printed piece by Martin Oberhauser.


• Nike's Digital Headline Installation lets you submit a headline through Facebook that lights up the largest LED installation in Johannesburg. See how it works on YouTube.
• Participate in the Firefox Cup by picking a team, updating your browser and playing a fantasy tournament.


• EA Games partnered with PlayStation and FIFA to present the Interactive World Cup 2010, a competition for gamers in tandem to the real tournament.


• Cheer for your favorite teams through Ericsson's Cheer Campaign, confetti included.


• Get a visual replay of fans' Twitter reactions with the guardian.co.uk's interactive replay.


• Hyundai launched a campaign to send one million soccer balls to the children of Africa, along with offering full tournament interactive content. Dancing cheetah bonus visual included.
• CNN World Cup Twitter Buzz shows users which teams are being tweeted about the most in real time.


• FOX Interactive Map uses a standard global map to guide users through multiple content screens.
• Don't miss NYTimes.com's evolution of the World Cup ball photo gallery, which celebrates the tournament's history with a timeline of soccer balls. There's also an educational site here.



I expect we'll see innovative interactivity continue to be tested and used for other major world events each year. The World Cup offers great opportunities to explore new ways to engage fans and consumers on the web. Gooooooaaaaaaaallllllllll!