The first World Cup matches begin today with Mexico and South Africa in the group stage while Korea and the Czech Republic clash in their own bids to make deep runs the tournament.
A buildup that feels like forever in the making is finally in motion as the biggest iteration of the sport’s premier showcase unfurls in a multi-nation effort between the United States, Canada, Mexico.
But any of the qualified teams descend on the pitch, an advertising barrage of sponsors, partners and sportswear giant have resulted in months staking claims to billions who will tune in as they root for their nations.
No less than a dozen major campaigns have already been rolled out from official World Cup sponsors like Adidas, Coca-Cola Frito-Lay and McDonald’s while other stakeholders in the sport launched their marketing bids with splashy campaigns that are less about gamble and more about planting a flag in a month of unified emotion — and of course the game.
Plenty is at stake and with each take on advertising for the tournament, the battle for the biggest bags will eventually show up in future earnings reports.
A flurry of Cup-specific ads were launched in the last two months, and 13 picks below reflect how each of the brands are approaching the global sporting event of the year.
Nike – “Rip The Script”
Pepsi – “Football Nation”
McDonald’s
Gatorade – “Trust What’s Inside”
Adidas – “Backyard Legends”
Budweiser – “Let It Pour”
Lays – “Most Epic Watch Party”
Mastercard – “Leo Messi: For You, the Fans”
Brahma
Coca-Cola – “Uncanned Emotions”
Lotto- “Legends Begin With Lotto”
Duracell – “Duracell x Messi Reboot”
Michelob- “The Superior Match”
