There's no shortage of promotional material to add to the footie atmosphere.
Carlsberg is splashing out on a £10m-plus promotional campaign it describes as "probably the best we have ever put together" in order to tap into the feelgood factor around Euro 2004. Under the banner "Your Country Needs You", the England team sponsor will harness the reputation it has gained from past sponsorships using £8m-worth of new TV ads plus a range of merchandising to give life to football in the pub, including Euro 2004 logos on pumps, glasses, flags, hats, horns and giant foam hands.
Tailored promotions with key customers will give drinkers the opportunity to acquire branded glasses and win tickets to England games. There will also be the chance to present the Carlsberg-sponsored Man of the Match award on the pitch in Portugal.
Supporters in the pubs want authenticity and they want official products," explained Carlsberg UK's director of brands Iain Paton. "And Carlsberg has an authentic tie-in no one else can offer. We have the three lions and that's what gets people going."
"The last week of the 2002 World Cup saw Carlsberg's sales soar 128 per cent in the on-trade and contributed 60 per cent of the growth in the lager category.
"The first Sunday of Euro 2004, when England play France, will kick-start the interest this time around," said Iain.
Meanwhile rival lager Carling will use Euro 2004 as a platform to launch what it claims to be "the first ever interactive TV campaign by an alcohol brand".
Consumers with an interactive TV tuned to ITV or Sky when the Carling Big Match advert appears will be able to go into a pop-up box and enter a competition to win Love Football flags for England, Scotland or Wales.
The interactive element is part of Carling's Love Football promotion around Euro 2004 which includes a collector card scheme through which drinkers can earn items such as a boxed pint glass, a national flag and T-shirts.
A Spirited effort
Two-thirds of the Spirit Group is set to participate in Euro 2004 - 1,700 pubs across the UK - and the pub company is working with the main Euro sponsors to make the most of the opportunity.
The company has produced a video featuring a pep talk from boss Karen Jones plus advice on tactics from TV sports pundit Ray Stubbs.
More than 800 Spirit pubs have already started to live the Euro 2004 experience with a pre-tournament Passport promotion sponsored by Carlsberg.
Each time they bought a pint of the lager customers received a stamp in their Passport which was then entered into a prize draw to win a day at the England training ground or VIP tickets to the England v Croatia match.
All pubs participating in Euro 2004 will receive PoS packs with tournament guides, fixture lists, posters, bunting, banners and food offers and further support includes "atmosphere packs" containing a CD of football anthems, flags and face paints.
Managers are being encouraged to put their creativity to the test with awards given to the best-dressed pubs, and there will also be incentives on staff involvement, initiatives, tournament build-up and financial performance.
Nationally, 120 posters, again sponsored by Carlsberg, aim to drive consumers to the nearest Spirit pub. And children are not forgotten either. Throughout June at Wacky Warehouses kids will have the chance to win football-themed prizes when they buy a packet of Walkers crisps.
Kick-off for the colas
Euro 2004 will see the UK cola wars stepped up a gear with official sponsor Coca-Cola claiming the biggest football promotion the country has ever seen and Pepsi countering with a renewed focus on footie.
Throughout May and June Coke will give away one million branded footballs with pub customers offered instant win scratchcards with the chance of claiming their ball there and then at the bar.
It is also providing publicans with kits, including football quizzes and exclusive Euro 2004 branded merchandise. The idea followed research that indicated football fans are united by the common urge to kick a ball.
The promotion will be supported by a £2.1m media campaign that will reach more than 50 million consumers.
Four of the tournament's likely stars - Wayne Rooney, Ruud Van Nistelroy, Thierry Henry and Luis Figo - will appear on packs and point-of-sale.
"We are confident we will capture the nation's passion for Euro 2004 and retailers will benefit from the urge to 'kick a ball' that will be felt up and down the country," said Andrew Slee, licensed trading director at Coca-Cola Enterprises.
Meanwhile Pepsi, a sponsor of the FA and Team England, has linked up with five top players including England captain David Beckham, Raul, Roberto Carlos, Francesco Totti and Ronaldhino. All currently feature on special edition bottles and in the new gladiator-style advert.
Pub-goers can take part in another instant win game, the Dunk Challenge, in which drinkers dunk a specially designed game piece into their Pepsi to reveal a prize. Winners will go on to compete in the Pepsi Football Challenge of the Champions, a skill-based competition in Spain judged by Real Madrid coaches and attended by the Pepsi-sponsored players.
Pepsi and FA-branded point-of-sale will include ice buckets, glasses and posters.
Pictured: France and Arsenal star Thierry Henry kick-starts the giveaway in London.
Have a WKD tournament
Fun promotions and cheeky washroom advertising - all with a football theme and backed up by a new TV ad campaign - aim to help WKD customers drive sales among football fans this summer.
Two promotions are launched to coincide with Euro 2004:
- WKD Hat-Trick offers drinkers who buy three bottles of WKD the chance to have their own version of Euro 2004 - on their head - by winning a Velcro hat and ball game
- WKD 90 Minute rewards drinkers who purchase a bottle of WKD with a ticket featuring a number between one and 90. If a goal is scored in the minute shown on their ticket the lucky drinker will go home with a case of WKD
Meanwhile, in the toilets, football-themed branded stickers will be stuck on urinals as an inviting target.
Show your support
It's not too late to put the flags out and make sure people know you're following the football this summer. House of Flags (HoF) advises that small runs of custom-printed PVC banners can be prepared and delivered in less than two weeks.
Most suppliers, including HoF, will have an in-house design team to help you so all you'll need is a rough idea of what you want.
If you run out of time to get something printed specifically for your pub you can always fall back on St George flags and bunting which are stock items that can be delivered overnight and help create a festival feel at short notice. Handwaving flags are another nice giveaway that won't break the bank.
HoF is offering pubs a selection of last minute Euro 2004 offers. Call 01480 861678 to find out more.
- Party goods supplier Novelties Galore has produced a theme pack for Euro 2004 that includes everything from St George flags, balloons and player cut-outs to St George wigs, rosettes and inflatable hands (pictured). Call 0208 424 9966.
- The Europrint Group has introduced a fun interactive beer mat game for Euro 2004. Offering the chance to win £1,000, the mats feature a qualifying question on one side and a