MTV launches Hilarious Worl Cup Commercials Monday May 17, 2010 9:00am EST The ad is part of the network's international "anti-World Cup campaign." Jose Molla, founder and creative director of MTV's international agency, La Comunidad, Miami, told Advertising Age: "It's interesting to do a campaign for a brand that has nothing to do with soccer, and has never sponsored any soccer team." "It's such a huge event around the world, and people get so passionate about it, that it's good for MTV to address this incredible moment, in an ironic way. It shows how people get totally into the World Cup, but from a different angle" adds Molla. The commercials will be airing on MTV channels abroad. Check out the commercial, below, targeting MTV's Spanish speaking audience. MTV (formerly MTV: Music Television) is an American cable television network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs. Today, MTV still plays a limited selection of music videos, but the channel primarily broadcasts a variety of popular culture and reality television shows targeted at adolescents and young adults. Since its premiere, MTV has had a profound impact on the music industry and popular culture. Slogans such as "I want my MTV" became embedded in public thought, the concept of the VJ was popularized, the idea of a dedicated video-based outlet for music was introduced, and both artists and fans found a central location for music events, news, and promotion. MTV has also been referenced countless times in popular culture by musicians, other TV channels and shows, films and books. MTV has spawned numerous sister channels in the U.S. and affiliated channels internationally. MTV's moral influence on young people, including issues related to censorship and social activism, has been a subject of debate for years. MTV's choice to focus on non-music programming has also been contested relentlessly since the 1990s, demonstrating the channel's impact on popular culture. MTV Networks has also launched numerous native-language MTV-branded music channels to dozens of countries around the world. MTV UK operates 16 channels solely in the United Kingdom. Other channels include, but are not limited to, MTV Adria based in Slovenia, MTV Brazil, MTV Canada, MTV Turkey, MTV Netherlands, MTV Ireland, MTV Greece, MTV Hungary, MTV Russia, MTV Spain, MTV Austria, MTV France, MTV Germany, MTV Europe , MTV Portugal, MTV Adria, MTV Denmark, MTV Finland, MTV Italy, MTV Norway, MTV Poland, MTV Czech, MTV Romania, MTV Lithuania, MTV Latvia, MTV Estonia, MTV Sweden, MTV Asia, MTV Taiwan, MTV Korea, MTV Japan, MTV Thailand, MTV Indonesia, MTV India, MTV Philippines, MTV Pakistan, MTV Latin America, MTV Australia, MTV New Zealand, MTV Ukraine, and MTV Base in Africa and MTV Arabia. An international version of MTV known as MTV International was shown on the Internet from 2006 to 2007.