The World Cup is one of the most-watched sporting events in the world, and it’s taking place right now in Qatar.
Every four years, billions (that's billions, with a b) go positively berserk while rooting for their country of choice during the month-long tournament.
As viewers, it’s exciting! The sportsmanship! The shared global experience!
As brands, it’s exciting! All those eyeballs! Capitalism!
Except, this year is a little different.
This year, the tournament is being held in Qatar. Disputes over unfair bidding, bribery, the deaths of migrant workers, and the criminalization of homosexuality have left brands unsure how to navigate a controversial World Cup.
How are advertisers responding? This week, we’re looking at some of the standout campaigns and spots we’ve seen from the tournament.
I’d also love to hear what caught your eye.
Building Hype + Awareness
This spot from Bleacher Report is easily one of my favs. It echoes the tournament’s excitement, bringing toy versions of your favorite soccer players to life with enough embedded Easter eggs to delight even the most casual fan. The spot is fast-paced and fun. The soundtrack and nostalgic homage to Pixar’s Toy Story add additional elements of joy to get you excited about being part of the action.
It makes it easy to be a fan of the tournament, bringing awareness without taking a heavier stand. Give it a watch if you haven't seen it yet.
The World Cup typically takes place over the summer. However, June temps in Qatar can average around 108/109 °F. Not ideal soccer-playing weather. To spare players, the 2022 World Cup is happening over the November/December holidays for the very first time.
FOX Soccer enlisted Jon Hamm (a friend of Overit) to ham it up as Santa Claus to help get the word out about the programming change. In a series of spots, Santa suddenly discovers he has to compete with the World Cup for holiday attention and jumps into preparation mode to save his spotlight.
That means:
New stars are crowned.
Stadium chants become carols.
Holiday sweaters get sportier.
Famous friends like Tom Brady and Mariah Carey make an appearance.
[Fantastically, Mariah sends her regrets that she's too busy this time of year to write a new song for the World Cup.]
It’s the perfect World Cup/holiday mashup... with absolutely no mention of where the tournament is being held.
Brands Get Confrontational
Of course, only some brands are up for wrapping severe human rights violations in quirky marketing. Others confronted the controversy head-on.
German-based Alliance for Human Rights calls for fans to boycott the World Cup, encouraging a complete football blackout during the quarter-finals on Dec 10's International Human Rights Day.
A well-executed campaign website asks people to do absolutely anything but tune into the tournament and explains the importance of taking a stand. You’re invited to join a Pledge List and share statements that reflect what you’ll be doing instead of watching the game.
Shareable responses range from sorting your socks to figuring out the meaning of life to deep cleaning your oven. It’s a creative, powerful way to spread their message.
Hummelis a Danish sports apparel company with a mission to change the world through sport. In September, Hummel unveiled the World Cup uniform it designed for the Denmark national team. People quickly noticed that the logos for Hummel and the team were almost wholly hidden against the color of the jersey.
Why such lackluster branding on soccer's biggest stage?
This was no accident.
Hummel stated that while they support their team, they do not wish to be associated with the tournament.
Big stage. Toned-down uniforms. Bold statement.
Craft beer brand BrewDog took a seemingly aggressive stance on Qatar’s World Cup by declaring itself the “proud anti-sponsor” of the tournament. A series of billboards condemn the “corruption, abuse, and death” associated with the games with a finger-wagging statement that asserts football is meant for everyone.
BrewDog doubled down to say that all profits from its limited-edition USA Lost Lager cans would be donated to Soccer Without Borders, an organization that uses soccer for positive change for underserved youth.
Sounds good—sort of.
The campaign has received mixed reviews. Mainly because, despite the in-your-face billboards, BrewDog admits they will still show the World Cup in all of its bars, thereby profiting off the very games they got praise for admonishing. Playing the whole “donating a small profit while still reaping the benefits” game left a disingenuous taste in consumers' mouths.
Fostering Conversation & Connection
Many brands decided the World Cup was simply too big to boycott. Instead, they released campaigns focused on soccer’s ability to unite people, avoiding any mention of the World Cup’s location or the controversy altogether.
Kia used its World Cup sponsorship to launch a multi-faceted global campaign under the theme “Inspiration. It’s in all of us.” Through it, Kia encourages us to discover our inspiring move.
Kia’s “Every Four Years” spot is cinematically beautiful. It reminds us that soccer is more than a sport that billions worldwide enjoy. It can create a movement that inspires us to do great things, where small villages can have a big voice. The spot treats us to examples of community and shared beliefs throughout.
Yet, it feels like a missed opportunity—a missed opportunity to tie the big movements created by small villages with how those voices can be used to create change in Qatar. The spot could have been more than just beautiful; it could have changed the conversation to inspire action. It stopped short.
The spot is complemented by a #KiaInspireTogether social campaign that encourages people to create and share content to show their passion for their team. Kia will share the best user-generated content on the electronic boards at the World Cup.
The brand is also promoting the personal stories of the 64 children carrying the official match balls via an Official Match Ball Carrier campaign. It's another way to put a human face on the tournament's impact.
🏆 McDonald's released my favorite spot. It leans into McDonald's and the World Cup's mutual worldwide appeal to position them as connectors.
The “Wanna Go To McDonald's” campaign was released in over 75 international markets with footage tailored to individual locations.
Whether you live in Albany, NY, Albany, Minnesota, or Albany on the other side of the world, there's something about McDonald's that, in some way, feels like home. It's familiar because you immediately associate the fast food chain with moments from your life.
For me, it's swinging into McDonald's via a giant yellow school bus coming home from a track meet. Or my father walking up the driveway on a Sunday morning loudly announcing to our neighborhood that breakfast has arrived.
Localized storytelling and familiar associations create magic. We understand that whether it’s a moment of celebration, defeat, or simply an average Tuesday, the feeling of going to Mcdonald's is something we share.
Frito-Layis having some fun reigniting the “is it called soccer or football” debate with a spot that stars David Beckham (Team Soccer) and Peyton Manning (Team Football) going to extreme lengths to argue the differences between American and British English.
Comedy ensues as they ask the world, is it:
Chips or crisps?
Cleats or boots?
A trophy or souvenir?
Soccer or football?
Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, Tim Howard, Mia Hamm, and Ron Funches join the debate while snacking on their favorite Frito-Lay snacks. All in a spot directed by Michael Bay. Because, of course.
Again, it’s light-hearted and gives us something to fight about talk about with friends.
And lastly, this ad from Louis Vuitton is literal art.
It was shot by Annie Leibowitz and depicts Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo -- two living legends -- squaring off in a completely different game, with absolutely perfect product placement.
It shows solidarity by putting the two men together.
It highlights the mental acuity needed for chess and soccer.
It creates drama for the matches to come.
It's gorgeous and instantly iconic.
So, what’s the right approach?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach for how your brand should respond in potentially-controversial situations.
I would have liked to have seen more big brands take a page out of the Alliance for Human Rights playbook, bridging the gap between the impact these global events can have and calling for the changes they'd like to see. Kia drove the ball closest to the net but never took the shot.
Collectively, advertisers responded to the World Cup by serving up a buffet of easy-to-snack-on content to enjoy during the games.
Fun, but not particularly filling.
What are some of your favorite campaigns from this year's World Cup?
Hit reply and share. I'd love to check them out.
Thanks for reading.
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