5 Best World Cup Ads That Will Set the Tone for FIFA World Cup 2022

The FIFA World Cup 2022 is less than a week away and an estimated $141 million in additional advertising revenue is expected to hit in the fourth quarter of 2022, driven majorly by the World Cup sponsors. The irregular schedule of the tournament as it takes place close to the Christmas holiday could certainly pose a challenge to brands looking to capitalize on the World Cup. Understandably, brands can’t simply throw money at the challenge and expect anything meaningful to come out of the whole process. The winners will be the ones who best plan and execute their creativity.

And what better way to do that than being inspired by some of the most successful commercials from FIFA World Cup history? Let’s take a look at some of the best FIFA world cup commercials from yesteryear.

1. Nike: Write the Future (2010)

Wanna know what a routine day for Wayne Rooney looks like? Well, this 2010 ad from Nike can help you out with that.

From painting the center circle line onto a muddy pitch and transforming into a bearded vagabond to performing an amazing slide tackle on France’s Franck Ribery and getting off the pitch to risk his neck and then hugging the Queen after being knighted- that’s what it looks like. Of course, the full-length version of the ad includes other stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Didier Drogba.

2. Pepsi: Sumo (2002)

This ad from Pepsi used to be my favorite commercial back in the day when it used to air on TV.

The commercial shows Raul, Roberto Carlos, Edgar Davids, and David Beckham taking on giant sumo wrestlers for a chance to win a cold crate of Pepsi. What seemed like an easy match initially for the professionals soon turned out to be a humiliating lesson for them. The highlights include Beckham once again proving that his acting skills are not even half as good as his skills in the sport.

3. McDonald’s: GOL (2014)

Why leave Football only to the pros? After all, it’s a sport that’s followed by millions of people from all over the globe.

So, in the honor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, McDonald’s scouted for talented trick-shot heroes all over the world. The commercial turned out to be a melting pot of some of the most amazing football tricks. It’s fantastic how they’ve managed to keep the entire ad to organic and genuine.

4. Nike: Airport (1998)

This commercial from Nike has a Brazilian theme that set the bar really high for all brands in the 1998 World Cup. The commercial featured the Brazilian World Cup team running through an airport and showcasing their footballing wizardry to everyone.

Unfortunately, their hot form in the ad didn’t quite translate into their performance on the field as they were thrashed 3-0 in the final by France. Now that’s a lesson for every marketer thinking that an airport kickabout would make for a wonderful advertisement idea.

5. Adidas: Jose + 10 (2006)

What could be better than having a wish? Well, using that wish to ensemble an all-star squad of footballing legends to play in a street match could just be the thing that you might be looking for.

This 2006 FIFA World Cup ad by Adidas, in its full two-minute version, features football stars like Kaka, Lampard, Platini, and Beckenbauer, among others, engaging in an amusing game of football. But just when the game picks up the pace and is heading towards a close, one of the boys is called in by his mum. Such a spoilsport!

Wrapping Up

And that was a wrap of some of the best FIFA World Cup commercials from yesteryear. The quadrennial event is one of the best times for brands to dish out engaging commercials to their audience and rake in the benefits by the time the tournament comes to an end. And it looks like that brands are all set to make the most of this tournament this year too.

We’ll be back with more amazing adverts for you. Till then, stay tuned!