Can we all agree that World Cup campaigns can sometimes take themselves just a little bit too seriously? The slow-motion tackles, the stirring voiceovers about legacy and going for greatness.
But this year, it seems that brands have loosened up a little. They're leaning more into humour, weirdness, community, and the messy brilliance that is football fandom.
There have been backyard kickabouts and Wayne Rooney reciting Shakespeare, grandmas modelling trainers and a very optimistic hunt for America’s George Washingtons. This year, the standout campaigns are a much-needed reminder that football marketing can just be... well, fun.
In this article, marketing professionals share the ads that have genuinely stood out to them, and what we can learn from them.
Adidas: ‘Backyard Legends’
What sets it apart is the structural simplicity beneath the production: rather than chasing broadcast impressions, it built genuine cultural participation.
What made it work was the casting logic. Timothée Chalamet alongside Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham isn't a sponsorship line-up - it's a cultural statement. Adidas understood that the audience it needed to reach doesn't separate football from music, film and identity, and earned a place in that conversation without demanding one.
The lesson for marketers: authenticity at scale requires production discipline. The instinct is to show everything you've paid for. Adidas showed a backyard game and let the names do the rest.
Aidan van Vuuren, Head of Digital at Peak Digital
Brahma: ‘Let Yourself Believe’
Our affinity for nostalgia has already changed how brands are approaching creative. And, importantly, if that sentiment can improve our audience’s mood, then brand affinity will only strengthen.
Brahma approaches the societal slump in support for Brazil’s national team with an optimism that actually acts as a solution. If they go on to win the World Cup, I think we can be sure what beer they will be celebrating with.
Ads must now be culturally relevant to cut through, boasting a hook that an audience can really cling to. The product is clearly still important but not necessarily central.
Ryan Walters, Senior Creative at Engage Digital Partners
BAPE x KidSuper: ‘SUPERBAPE CUP’
They dropped 48 country-specific BAPE STA sneaker colourways, one per competing country and cast grandmas from each culture to model them. And not just any grandmas, genuinely the coolest and most iconic women around NYC.
BAPE and KidSuper's audience is very Gen Z, but they didn't cast Gen Z… they didn't need to. The casting choice itself is bold: elderly women for one of the coolest sneaker drops of the year, and it works completely.
Who you cast IS the message. You don't have to cast your core demographic to speak to them. These grandmas are compelling to a Gen Z audience because they're unexpected and real and cool in a way that isn't performed.
Rethink your casting process before you rethink your creative. Working with someone like Nicolas who has genuine connections in the community gets you to a result that no traditional casting agency would find.
Sinead Brennan, Head of Social at Hijinks
DoorDash: ‘Deliver Us to Fútbol’
There's no doubt it's a DoorDash campaign, but they haven't made DoorDash the focus. The brand is integrated into the content in the most natural way possible, with the delivery driver as the connective tissue between all of the different fan groups featured.
Building a concept that works, regardless of star power, is key. If you're reliant solely on specific talent, the whole campaign can fall apart if availability changes.
Bringing fans together is a central theme, especially as the 2026 World Cup is spread across three countries. I think we'll increasingly see brands that put this at the centre of their marketing efforts resonate more than ever.
Martin Ruffell, Director of Audience Development at Brave Bison
Nike: ‘Rip The Script’
The campaign works because it expands the audience without losing credibility. Football remains at the heart of the creative, but the inclusion of globally recognised figures from outside the sport creates multiple entry points for people to engage with the campaign.
The key lesson is that major sporting events should be viewed as cultural platforms, not just sponsorship opportunities. The brands that stand out are increasingly those that understand how sport intersects with music, fashion, entertainment and social.
Nike also demonstrates the value of thinking beyond a single advert. By creating a campaign ecosystem that can fuel ongoing content and conversation throughout the tournament, the brand remains relevant long after launch.
Mike McDonnell, Head of Partnerships at ZEAL
Nike x Palace for England
The biggest lesson here is that relevance beats reach.
For years, brands have been able to buy visibility through sponsorship. But consumption has shifted and increasingly, they need to earn their relevance within culture. The strongest campaigns don’t start with media inventory or rights packages anymore, they more frequently start with an understanding of the audience and the role sport plays in their lives.
It’s also a reminder that heritage remains one of sport’s most valuable and equitable assets. Football has decades of stories, rituals, icons and emotional memories that just can’t be replicated or manufactured. And when used authentically, nostalgia creates emotional connection because it reminds people who they were, where they were and why they cared.
Nick Jackman, Co-founder at 50 Sport
Jeep: ‘All in on America’
While other brands opt to spend on official World Cup sponsorships and reach-driven campaigns, Jeep found a way to insert itself into the conversation in a way that is relevant to Americans but not forced, almost impossibly connecting two important cultural moments that will naturally generate discussion.
Social media is awash with content, and our social listening research at SAMY has revealed that much of it is not focusing on the sports themselves, but the entertainment, fashion and celebrity culture that surrounds it. There was a lot more noise around Shakira, headlining the World Cup Final half-time show, than any stories from on the pitch.
For brands, that’s a significant challenge, but it also provides an opportunity. The ones that will stand out are those who understand the broader cultural ecosystem surrounding these moments and find authentic ways to participate in these fan-led conversations.
Traditionally, sponsorship was the preferred approach. But in this new era, it’s less about grabbing attention with those big partnerships and more about earning relevance. Connecting with communities. Collaborating with creators. Getting involved with those talked-about cultural moments that make the World Cup feel bigger than the sport itself.
Jayson Fittipaldi, Head of Product Innovation at SAMY
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