When it comes to blockbuster ad events, chances are you would be looking forward to the Super Bowl for all your extravagant, high-production advertisements. Yet, that’s almost exclusively an American phenomenon, with American football not quite having the same reach throughout the rest of the world as it does stateside. For ‘civilized’ society, they await in anticipation for the FIFA World Cup. Held every four years and more closely watched than the Olympics, the World Cup doesn’t quite draw the amount of attention for advertisement as the annual Super Bowl. However, it has continued to captivate audiences since 1930, with a high viewership guaranteed across a swath of demographics. At right.video, we wanted to peek into the underappreciated advertising that goes into the World Cup, and show off that, though it may not be as highly anticipated in advertising as its American cousin, the ads are just as richly rewarding.
Director: John Woo
Production Company: A Band Apart
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
Kicking things off with an advert from the ’98 cup, this particular campaign was American brand Nike’s entrance to the world of football (international, not domestic). Teaming up with the Brazilian football team in the production of the ad, “Airport” showed off the fantastic within the entirely mundane, combining the average wait at the airport with the fun that comes from the game. With slick production crafted by Hong Kong action director John Woo, this advert helped paint that a rousing game of football could turn just about anywhere into an enticing stadium.
Director: Traktor
Production Company: Partizan Paris
Agency: 180Amsterdam
Four years after Nike’s advert, rival Adidas emerged with a memorable campaign of its own. Though this particular advert is only eighteen years old, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was far older thanks to its decidedly 1970s aesthetic. Owing just as much to old education films as well as rapid football fans, “Footballitis” enlists a who’s who of FIFA superstars from Fabien Barthez to David Beckham to illustrate the ‘symptoms’ behind the ailment. Thought it doesn’t specifically mention a product or the World Cup, the advert is a perfect illustration of the international obsession that comes every four years when the World Cup tournament appears over the horizon.
Director: Chris Palmer
Production Company: Gorgeous Enterprises
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
Carlsburg had always had a strong reputation for advertising during the World Cup, but it’s this particular advert campaign from the 2006 German tournament that is perhaps its most well-known. Consisting of former English footballers, including some veterans of England’s winning 1966 team, Carlsberg orchestrated a dream team against a local pub team for both good humour and heart. It became a runaway critical and commercial success, ultimately winning top commercial awards from both the Eurobest Awards and the British Television Advertising Awards.
Director: Chris Palmer
Production Company: Gorgeous Enterprises
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
Reuniting the team behind the acclaimed “Old Lions” we’ve previously discussed, Visa orchestrated an advert that shows off how dreams and dedication can truly pay off. Focusing purely on a football fan slowly transforming himself into a superstar on the field, “Evolution” acts like a miniature travelogue with the sprinting fan armed only with a Visa credit card. From bustling city streets to harsh desert landscapes, we see the heart and dedication that goes to bettering oneself and highlighting the hopes we all have in joining the World Cup.
Director: Lance Acord
Production Company: Park Pictures
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
Coming courtesy of American broadcaster ESPN, “One Game” gave a brief, but illuminating piece of South African history when it came to football. Underscored by Irish rock band U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name”, it told the story of the Apartheid-era football team functioning within the walls of Robben Island Prison, giving the political prisoners there hope during a time without it. It delves into South Africa’s recent past while illustrating how the game has helped make a positive impact on the country, just in time for the nation to host the premiere tournament in honor of the game that inspired them.
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Production Company: Independent Films Limited
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
Nike appears one last time on this list, this time enlisting the help of acclaimed Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu for a visually stunning advert that’s familiar to film fans. It’s a brilliant showcase at how the course of any typical World Cup match feels like a titanic struggle, illustrating the hopes and crushed dreams of nations as all is laid out on the field. Featuring the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Frank Ribéry, “Write the Future” became a critical sensation under Iñárritu’s direction, ultimately being awarded the following year with the Cannes Lions Grand Prix prize.
Director: Nabil Elderkin
Production Company: Sword Fight
Agency: R/GA London + LA
Long before it became a subsidiary of Apple, Beats had earned a reputation as a fashion accessory with its vast array of headphones. It was an image that it leaned into with this 2014 advert, featuring an array of athletes including football stars Cesc Fabregas and Luis Suarez. Though it has a distinctly North American bent with appearances from Lebron James and Serena Williams, the advert’s focus on Neymar proved to be a boon for Beats and the Brazilian, helping solidify the latter as one of football’s rising stars in the 21st century.
Director: Diego Luna
Production Company: RadicalMedia
Agency: Alma
Football has always inflamed the passions of devoted fans, especially every four years where the World Cup is concerned. McDonald’s perfectly captured this sentiment with this advert, showing off the generational divide between father and son and their loyalties to their respective World Cup teams. Yet despite their differences, the same quirks and their shared joy of the game unites the pair, especially as they win the then-contest to join the finals in Rio de Janeiro. It was not only an illustration of a rapidly diversifying America, but also of the country’s growing love for the World Cup.
Production Company: Landia Buenos Aires
Agency: Mercado McCann
One of the more prominent sponsors of the World Cup tournament, Coca-Cola orchestrated a massive international campaign for the 2018 World Cup. This particular ad comes courtesy of the Great Britain division and brilliantly homed in on the little sensations that drive rabid fans of the sport. With a thumping soundtrack courtesy of rock band AC-DC, “Stock Up” captured the abject terror and the rush to capture the goal-winning plays of football, all while gently chiding the viewer to be better prepared for the then-upcoming World Cup in Russia.
Director: Manu Cossu
Production Company: Ionoclast
Agency: 72andSunny Amsterdam
Not to be outdone by rival Nike, Adidas returns to top the list with this particularly star-studded ad made in time for the 2018 tournament. Showing off the likes of international stars from football, music, and art, “Create the Answer” was designed to be a more personal campaign by the company to encourage creativity in the sports world and beyond. Featuring music icons Stormzy and Pharell Williams alongside football legend Leo Messi, the campaign was a beautiful illustration of not only the diversity behind football, but also the range of talent found across the globe.
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If you ever want to recapture that World Cup fervor, you can find these ads and many others right here on the right.video search engine. Whether it’s the tournaments in Russia or Brazil, we hope that these ads give a good idea about the great expense that goes into World Cup advertising!
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