Head Butt is the Butt of Jokes and Ads

As the 2010 FIFA World Cup starts tomorrow, talk of the most remembered moment of the 2006 World Cup — or, perhaps, any World Cup, for that matter — was sure to return in a cloud of jokes and ad campaigns. So it should come as no surprise that an online betting company used the Zinedine Zidane's head butt on Marco Materazzi in the tournament's final match four years ago as the basis for a series of ads promoting its World Cup services.

Adidas is launching an ad campaign for its F50i football boot, and begins with this TV and cinema spot (directed by Rupert Sanders) which introduces the graphic novel style that runs throughout the whole campaign. The spot stars the ever-enigmatic Zidane as a mysterious storyteller in search of the perfect football team. Zidane's journey begins in Buenos Aires, where he seeks out the Barcelona FC player Lionel Messi, aka The Spark, and reveals the story behind Messi's alter ego. The graphic novel look also appears in the posters for the campaign. Further content accompanying will be released online at adidas.com/football over the summer.