Leeuwenhosen
Encyclopedia
Leeuwenhosen are orange-colored, lion-tailed overalls distributed by the Bavaria Brewery, a popular Dutch
beer
brewery
, during the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. The concept was realized by Peer Swinkels, the chairman of Bavaria . The leeuwenhosen may have been inspired by the coincidence that the Dutch team's icon is a lion
, as is the 2006 FIFA World Cup mascot Goleo VI. The word "leeuwenhosen" is a mix of the Dutch word for "lions" and the German word for "pants," in the same style as the German article of clothing called lederhosen
, meaning "leather pants."
Bavaria distributed orange Leeuwenhosen (orange being the Dutch national colour, representing the royal House of Orange) with their company logo in cases of beer in the Netherlands in support of the Dutch national football team. The problem with this was that Bavaria was not an official sponsor of the World Cup; Budweiser
was the official beer sponsor. During the 16 June 2006 match between the Dutch team and the Ivory Coast team
, spectators wearing Bavaria-branded Leeuwenhosen were ordered to disrobe by officials in Stuttgart
, and many of these Dutch supporters watched the game in their underpants
. FIFA
reportedly anticipated this act of "ambush marketing
" and instructed officials to distribute orange shorts to fans who required them after removing the Leeuwenhosen.
The Leeuwenhosen are no longer distributed by Bavaria, and they are now regarded as a collector's item by fans of the 2006 World Cup and breweriana
collectors
.
in South Africa
, as is customary of breweries in the Netherlands. Unbranded orange minidresses were one of the promotional items, but FIFA officials again felt that this was an attempt at ambush marketing
by Bavaria, who was not the official beer sponsor (Budweiser was again the official sponsor). Following the Netherlands-Denmark
match in Johannesburg
, FIFA forcibly removed 36 female fans because they wore the dresses and detained and questioned the three Dutch nationals for three hours (the other 33 were South African). Bavaria Chairman Peter Swinkels said of the incident, "There is not even a logo on those dresses, so what are we doing wrong? Since when is there a dress code at games?" Lawyers for FIFA are investigating the incident, and found that many of the tickets distributed to the British
television
station ITV
were used by the "Dutch Bavaria Babes."
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
, during the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. The concept was realized by Peer Swinkels, the chairman of Bavaria . The leeuwenhosen may have been inspired by the coincidence that the Dutch team's icon is a lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
, as is the 2006 FIFA World Cup mascot Goleo VI. The word "leeuwenhosen" is a mix of the Dutch word for "lions" and the German word for "pants," in the same style as the German article of clothing called lederhosen
Lederhosen
Lederhosen are breeches made of leather; they may be either short or knee-length. The longer ones are generally called Bundhosen....
, meaning "leather pants."
2006 Controversy
During the 2006 FIFA World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
Bavaria distributed orange Leeuwenhosen (orange being the Dutch national colour, representing the royal House of Orange) with their company logo in cases of beer in the Netherlands in support of the Dutch national football team. The problem with this was that Bavaria was not an official sponsor of the World Cup; Budweiser
Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)
Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world...
was the official beer sponsor. During the 16 June 2006 match between the Dutch team and the Ivory Coast team
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
, spectators wearing Bavaria-branded Leeuwenhosen were ordered to disrobe by officials in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, and many of these Dutch supporters watched the game in their underpants
Underpants
-Boxer shorts:Boxer shorts, or simply boxers, have an elasticated waistband that is at or near the wearer's waist, while the leg sections are fairly loose and extend to the mid-thigh. There is usually a fly, either with or without buttons...
. FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
reportedly anticipated this act of "ambush marketing
Ambush marketing
Ambush marketing can be defined as a marketing strategy wherein the advertisers associate themselves with, and therefore capitalize on, a particular event without paying any sponsorship fee. The Macmillan English Dictionary defines ambush marketing as a marketing strategy in which a competing...
" and instructed officials to distribute orange shorts to fans who required them after removing the Leeuwenhosen.
The Leeuwenhosen are no longer distributed by Bavaria, and they are now regarded as a collector's item by fans of the 2006 World Cup and breweriana
Alcohol advertising
Alcohol advertising is the promotion of alcoholic beverages by alcohol producers through a variety of media. Along with tobacco advertising, it is one of the most highly-regulated forms of marketing...
collectors
Collecting
The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector. Some collectors are generalists, accumulating merchandise, or stamps from all countries of the world...
.
2010 Controversy
Bavaria again distributed orange memorabilia in the Netherlands before the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, as is customary of breweries in the Netherlands. Unbranded orange minidresses were one of the promotional items, but FIFA officials again felt that this was an attempt at ambush marketing
Ambush marketing
Ambush marketing can be defined as a marketing strategy wherein the advertisers associate themselves with, and therefore capitalize on, a particular event without paying any sponsorship fee. The Macmillan English Dictionary defines ambush marketing as a marketing strategy in which a competing...
by Bavaria, who was not the official beer sponsor (Budweiser was again the official sponsor). Following the Netherlands-Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
match in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, FIFA forcibly removed 36 female fans because they wore the dresses and detained and questioned the three Dutch nationals for three hours (the other 33 were South African). Bavaria Chairman Peter Swinkels said of the incident, "There is not even a logo on those dresses, so what are we doing wrong? Since when is there a dress code at games?" Lawyers for FIFA are investigating the incident, and found that many of the tickets distributed to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
station ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
were used by the "Dutch Bavaria Babes."