Jupiler renamed 'Belgium' in World Cup marketing stunt

Jupiler, the best-selling Belgian beer, will change its name for the next five months to "Belgium" to tie in with the football World Cup in Russia.

Belgian mega-brewer AB InBev said 290 million Jupiler cans and bottles will carry the new brand and design - with only Jupiler Blue and the 0% alcohol version of the beer keeping the original name.

Announcing the large-scale marketing campaign on Tuesday, AB InBev said: "Our goal is to unify the country behind our colours. We wanted a campaign that could go even further than what we are used to."

Martin De Duve, from the health campaign group Univers Santé told La Libre Belgique: "Sponsors have always taught us that beer and football go together, but combining sport and alcohol is totally absurd.

"It is not by replacing the brand Jupiler with Belgium that the practice is any more acceptable. And besides, the name Belgium belongs to us all."

The Red Devils are drawn in Group G of the World Cup and will play England, Panama and Tunisia in the first round. Belgium's opening match will be on 18 June in Sochi against Panama.