| If you have been watching the World Cup at all lately | | | | shown at half time of a nice majority of the |
| you have probably seen a whole lot of commercials | | | | tournaments games. |
| and advertisements from a wide range of companies. | | | | While many Catholics bashed the Hyundai |
| One in particular who seems to be pushing themselves | | | | commercials and their intentions, some Catholics feel |
| very hard through what seems like a never-ending | | | | as though the ad was harmless. Some have even |
| arsenal of ads is Hyundai. There are two particular | | | | been quoted as saying the advertisements made a |
| commercials that the car manufacturing company | | | | valid point at something that is happening within the |
| produced that have now been banned due to | | | | Church today. Some Catholics think that sports are |
| questionable content that upset some viewers. The | | | | sometimes placed in front of actual religion in the |
| two, half minute commercials in question were dubbed | | | | Catholic Church, and that the commercials portrayed |
| "Communion" and "Wedding". They featured certain | | | | that in a perfect way. |
| elements of the Catholic faith being portrayed in a | | | | The last of the three advertisements to be run in the |
| way that seemed pretty offensive to some Catholics. | | | | "Loyalty" campaign was one entitled "Funeral". In |
| Both of the commercials were meant to exemplify the | | | | "Funeral", a soccer fan is laying in his casket dressed in |
| love for soccer that is found across the world. It | | | | full soccer attire and holding a soccer ball tightly in his |
| appears that Hyundai took things a little too far though | | | | hands. This commercial is apparently not as offensive |
| when they brought some Catholic ideals to the table. | | | | to the Catholics who disliked the other two because it |
| Many Catholic blogs and sites have been bashing the | | | | has not even been brought up in the talks of the other |
| company for going too far. The commercial, | | | | two commercials. |
| "Wedding", featured a crown of thorns rested on the | | | | Personally, I can see where the angry Catholics are |
| top of a soccer ball, while the other, "Communion", | | | | coming from with their dislike for Hyundai's |
| showed soccer fans lined up receiving pizza like one | | | | commercials. They portrayed the doings of the |
| would receive the Eucharist. | | | | Catholic Church in a way that somewhat poked fun at |
| Hyundai of course did not mean to directly offend | | | | it. This could potentially be upsetting and I understand |
| Catholics with their advertisement, but they did none | | | | that there were a nice amount of Catholics who took |
| the less. Their aim was more to rile up fans to | | | | direct offense to the ads. However, let's not forget |
| outwardly show their affection for their soccer squad | | | | here that they were just ads and nothing more. These |
| of choice, which is why the advertisement campaign | | | | were certainly not created by Hyundai with the |
| was known to Hyundai's workers as the "Loyalty" | | | | intention of making Catholics angry. People take |
| campaign. These commercials have been shown all | | | | everything they see on television these days a little bit |
| over ESPN and other sports channels, but will cease | | | | too seriously sometimes, and it can lead to situations |
| to be on television anymore due to complaints. Hyundai | | | | like the one that we have seen recently between |
| is one of the official sponsors of the 2010 FIFA World | | | | Catholics and Hyundai. |
| Cup, and holds the rights to all the advertisements | | | | |