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Take Hdac, a blockchain-based machine-to-machine payments company owned by South Korean corporate giant Hyundai and headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. Hdac has decided that World Cup TV ads are the way to spread the word about blockchain’s potential and reach future customers — and is spending millions of dollars doing so.





The price of a World Cup TV ad has climbed over recent tournaments, outpacing growth in viewership as the gulf between online and traditional media ads widens. In the UK, where Hdac has taken out a whopping 80 ads on one of the biggest UK channels, ITV, 30-second ads can cost up to US$300,000 — rising well into the millions for games later in the tournament.





Hdac’s ad — which over the course of the 2018 World Cup will be seen by hundred of millions of people — has left some wondering what exactly the company does. The ad suggests Hdac’s blockchain technology will help internet-connected devices in smart homes work together. But as could be expected from a 30-second mass-market ad, it’s light on details.





Hdac, led by CEO Chung Dae-sun, raised $258 million in an initial coin offering (ICO) late last year. Hdac’s white paper describes the company as combining blockchain and the Internet of Things to allow "automated, machine-to-machine, ultra-low cost transactions between IoT devices that are authenticated, mapped and verified through the blockchain," -- a mission that most people will find incomprehensible.





Despite all the hype surrounding blockchain, many still have no idea what blockchain technology is. Advertising at the World Cup helps push blockchain into the mainstream.





“It’s interesting to see companies beginning to put blockchain and cryptocurrency into a more public arena, like the World Cup,” said managing editor of digital marketing analysis website DMN, Amy Onorato.





“It entertains the possibility for more mainstream adoption – but I don’t think we’re there quite yet. Blockchain is still an emerging technology. Like any emerging technology, it’s important to educate consumers, rather than just push a shiny new product or service, so they understand true proposed value and make their own purchasing decisions.”





Another company that’s keen to educate World Cup fans about the wonders of blockchain is CryptoCup — a World Cup match betting game that allows users to build their own crypto tokens on the Ethereum blockchain.





“We decided to launch our game for the World Cup because we love football and blockchain,” said CryptoCup chief executive and cofounder Federico Goldberg. “We believe it's a great way to introduce blockchain to new people and that's why we will try to keep building games for other sports as well.” According to Goldberg, around 800 people played the game and CryptoCup intends to run similar games for the US NFL, various e-sports and other soccer tournaments in Europe.





"It's no surprise to see the increase in blockchain advertising at the World Cup,” said digital marketing consultant and founder of cryptocurrency site TheCoinOffering.com, Matthew Howells-Barby. “A large portion of the well-funded blockchain projects are in the sports, gaming and betting industries, which are prime targets for sports fans.”





In just a couple of months CryptoCup reached some 62,000 people over five continents, with their biggest number of users in the US, Brazil, and Argentina. Some two-thirds of its users came through global social networking giant Facebook, as people shared the game.





Waves, a blockchain company that allows users to store, trade, manage, and issue digital assets using a custom token, has distributed 150,000 cryptocurrency tokens to its users who can then trade their tokens based on which teams they predict will win each game — pushing up the value of the winning team’s tokens. After the tournament Waves will buy back the tokens.





In an added twist, Waves gave 50,000 tokens to players and coaches of the Russian national squad, meaning, if Russia wins the tournament, the national football team will scoop a $1.5 million prize.





While this isn’t the first time cryptocurrency and blockchain have featured in a World Cup tournament (people could bet on the 2014 Brazil World Cup using Bitcoin), we are likely to see even more blockchain companies using this platform to get their message out.





“With the mainstream news coverage of Bitcoin, Ethereum and the ICO boom last year, it would seem that consumers want a piece of the action now more than ever,” Howells-Barby added. “I only expect this to increase. Strap yourself in for Super Bowl 2019!"



