Many things that have little to do with corporatism–namely sports–have been used throughout history, and are still in use today, by companies to promote products. Numerous corporate advertisement agencies have had success in finding a niche within the realm of sports. A new term, the sports industrial complex, has surfaced recently to describe this and other observed links between sports and capital. Although the Unites States is commonly though of as the principle contractor of the phenomena known by some as the sports-industrial complex, the practice of using sports as a marketing tool occurs in places all over the globe.
For example in Britain, Bovril (a beef extract used to make drinks, flavor soups/stews, and/or spread on bread) was a staple of the British match day experience for years. Here are a few soccer-themed Bovril ads from the 1950s/early 1960s:
(WRITTEN FEB 13th)