The World Cup regularly attracts millions of people from all over the world and has thus become an international advertising platform. We take a look at the craziest and most creative World Cup Ads of recent years and are curious to see what Ads awaits us in 2022.
A look back at the history of FIFA World Cup Ads
Advertising for the World Cup began anything but traditionally. In the early years of the event, companies used the opportunity to promote their products. Coca-Cola and Sony, for example, showed off their latest products in World Cup commercials. However, the promotional videos were usually short and to the point and were intended to convey only the bare essentials. In recent years, however, the nature of World Cup advertising has changed dramatically. Today, the slogans of the commercials are often understood as a statement about the event itself. The latest World Cup ads focus more on emotion and story than on simple product placement.
The best World Cup Ads of all time
The World Cup has long been one of the most anticipated sporting events in the world. And the advertising campaigns surrounding the World Cup are always something special. Here are our favorites:
1. Adidas - "All in or Nothing" (2014)
Adidas has been a big sponsor of the World Cup for a long time and has always launched great advertising campaigns around the tournament. The “All in or Nothing” campaign from 2014 is a great example of this. The associated spot shows how the world’s best soccer players prepare for the tournament.
2. Nike - "Write the Future" (2010)
Nike’s 2010 World Cup commercial, “Write the Future,” is widely considered one of the best ads of all time. The three-minute spot features some of the world’s biggest soccer stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and Wayne Rooney. The spot tells the story of how a single moment on the soccer field can change a player’s life forever.
FIFA World Cup Ads 2022: A short overview
Of course, this year’s World Cup will also feature the big international brands with their commercials. Here you can find a continuously updated list:
Adidas - Family Reunion
Adidas launches its World Cup campaign “Impossible is Nothing” with a short commercial clip called “Family Reunion”. As the name suggests, it shows various national players, including Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, Son Heung-min and Serge Gnabry, preparing for a joint “family reunion”. Also featured is the British musician Stormzy.
Nike - GOAT Experiment
In their “GOAT Experiment” promotional clip, Nike has managed to get a bunch of soccer stars onto one pitch. The film shows how scientists teleport more and more players onto a soccer pitch and pit them against each other to find out who is the GOAT (Greatest of all time). While it starts off quite simple with Kylian Mbappe and Ronaldinho, more and more players and legends are featured as the film progresses. Even the anime character Axel Blaze (Inazuma Eleven) made it into the spot.
Coca Cola - Believing is Magic
With its “Believing is Magic” campaign, Coca Cola wants to celebrate the fans’ common ground and passion for the game. Several commercials are planned for this, some of which have already been released or will be in the coming weeks. The short film “Street” kicked off the campaign:
Frito Lay - Is it called Soccer or Football?
Is it soccer or football? This long-debated question is answered with the help of soccer legend David Beckham and American football star Peyton Manning in the Frito Lay commercial. In the course of the film, other familiar faces join in the discussion.
FOX Soccer - 'Tis the Fifa World Cup
With its ‘Tis the Fifa World Cup’ campaign, the TV channel FOX Soccer alludes to the fact that this year the World Cup coincides with the pre-Christmas period. Their various clips show how Santa Claus, played by Jon Hamm, deals with this situation.
The first spot begins with Santa Claus enjoying his vacation, until he is interrupted by a phone call and learns that the World Cup has been moved to “his” season. He then rushes back to the North Pole to begin preparations.
Back at the North Pole, Santa Claus can’t believe in the second spot that the World Cup has actually been postponed until December. But it’s not long before he realizes the benefits of a “Christmas World Cup” and focuses on producing Christmas cookies, presents and much more, soccer-style.
Pepsi - Nutmeg Royale #Thirsty for More
Pepsi presents with its clip “Nutmeg Royale,” the first part of the large-scale “Thirsty for More” campaign. The spot shows the three soccer stars Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Paul Pogba in a nerve-racking duel against the local population, in which both sides repeatedly surprise their opponents with amazing tricks and talent.
Kia - Every Four Years
Kia’s spot “Every Four Years” picks up on those things that always happen every four years during the World Cup. Among other aspects, joy and sorrow that lie close together, but also the general hopes for victory are addressed.
Bleacher Report - Unreal World Cup Toy Animation Hype Tape
The sports portal Bleacher Report is contributing to the World Cup 2022 ads with what is probably one of the most creative ideas. In the short film, various soccer players can be seen as play figures that – similar to the Pixar classic “Toy Story” – come to life as soon as no one is in the room. As a result, a fiercely contested soccer duel breaks out in the children’s room. We particularly liked the figure of Erling Haaland, who is “trapped” in the cardboard box as a reference to the fact that he cannot take part in the tournament in real life because Norway did not qualify.
McDonald's - Wanna Go To McDonald's?
Just about everyone has probably heard this phrase at some point. McDonald’s picks up on that and shows various situations in which the question is asked.
Artificial intelligence for your own marketing campaigns
So much creativity at once is contagious, isn’t it? If you’re looking for good ideas for your own marketing or a way to implement them as simply but effectively as possible, you can use artificial intelligence.
With a so-called AI text generator, you can create and personalize your own marketing campaigns. It automatically writes texts that are tailored to your target audience. This way, you can create effective ads with little effort.
If you are interested in using an AI text generator, neuroflash might be something for you. To create appealing texts or ideas in seconds, you only have to specify your rough thoughts and wishes in a short briefing. The AI then gives you various suggestions that you can freely adopt and combine with each other. For example, you can use it to create a video script for YouTube:
Afterwards, the AI can generate a suitable title for you:
If you want to try out the many free features yourself, you can register with neuroflash here.
Is the FIFA World Cup 2022 attractive for advertisers?
The World Cup 2022 in Qatar has already started, and the world’s major advertisers have given a lot of thought to the advertising opportunities around the mega event. However, the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar has been controversial from the beginning and there are many voices that want to boycott the World Cup. This could possibly also have an impact on advertising around the event.
Frequently asked questions & answers
What is the FIFA World Cup?
The FIFA World Cup is a soccer tournament held every four years, where the best national teams from around the world compete for the prestigious title.
When will the 2022 World Cup take place?
From November 20 to December 18, 2022.
As the FIFA World Cup 2022 approaches, businesses are gearing up to publish their ads. Some businesses have already released their commercials, and they are truly impressive. The creativity and production value of these ads is incredible. However, it remains to be seen how the conflicts surrounding this year’s World Cup will affect the success of the individual campaigns.
