Which Brands Won The World Cup Of Marketing?
As one of the biggest (and some would argue best) sporting events in the world, the FIFA World Cup presents an excellent yet fleeting topical marketing opportunity with massive potential. As fans across the globe obsessed over which countries were winning matches, scoring goals, and advancing to the finals, the marketing minds among us were also focused on another FIFA-related competition: keeping score of which brands won the World Cup through their creative campaigns, poignant ads, and out-of-the-box marketing tactics.
The official 2014 FIFA World Cup Partners include Coca-Cola and Adidas, while a handful of other brands, such as McDonald’s, are FIFA World Cup Sponsors. But which brands truly won the World Cup?
Marketing Winner #1: Nike “#RiskEverything”
It’s not surprising that Nike has executed yet another brilliant marketing campaign — after all, the sporting goods company is renowned for their high-impact, high-budget advertisements — but despite their successful soccer-themed ads, Nike is not an official sponsor of FIFA. Although the ethics around this type of “stealth marketing” are debatable, Nike undeniably scored big with this year’s “#RiskEverything” marketing campaign.
Despite Adidas’ position as an official FIFA sponsor, Nike does sponsor individual athletes, including Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo, who, incidentally, are featured in Nike’s ads. The presence of World Cup soccer stars and the use of high-quality cinematography allow Nike to replicate the coveted excitement and action of a live soccer game for the millions of fans watching from home.
Nike’s #RiskEverything campaign has left an impression on fans and casual viewers alike through its emotional yet original commercials, all of which are fast-paced and thrilling — much like a soccer game.
Check out the fantastic “Winner Stays” and “The Last Game” ads below:
Watch “Winner Stays” below:
Watch “The Last Game” below:
Marketing Winner #2: ESPN “Time Zone”
Another great example of topical marketing is the spot entitled “Time Zone” for ESPN. Featuring clips of eager soccer fans from London to Valencia to Moscow, the American sports network successfully conveys that no matter where you are from or which team you support, every soccer fan feels that same exhilaration while watching a live game. The spot encourages fans to adjust their time zones to match Brazil in order to catch the games live on television and share in the international excitement.
Although mainly targeting North American viewers of ESPN, the video conveys a sense of community that transcends time zones and cultural customs. While the ad appears to be promoting the World Cup itself, the sports network is subtly encouraging viewership in Americans who might otherwise skip games playing at an awkward time of day.
The closing tagline aptly sums up the spirit and commitment of soccer fans who sacrifice schedules or rearrange their daily routines to catch the game: “Every 4 years the world has one time zone.”
Watch ESPN’s “Time Zone” below:
Marketing Winner #3: Coca-Cola “One World, One Game”
It’s easy to feel cynical about big brands continually producing feel good films intended to sell a product. However, Coca-Cola’s latest World Cup campaign manages to retain brand consistency while still feeling inspired — which is crucial to strengthening a branded identity. In another well-executed short film about global community, Coca-Cola’s World Cup spot “One World, One Game” elicits positive emotions about bringing people together.
However, the best part about Coca-Cola’s recent campaign is that the company expanded the power of its advertising by reaching out to youth around the world and inviting them to visit Rio de Janeiro. The invitees were surprised with a trip to Brazil, where they witnessed preparations for the World Cup and carried the national team flags during the June 16th Germany vs. Portugal match. Although “One World, One Game” is the centerpiece for the campaign, Coca-Cola also filmed a series of unscripted documentaries about each team they invited to visit Brazil.
Coca-Cola’s World Cup campaign truly embodies the principles of community, global engagement, and camaraderie that define the World Cup, allowing the spot to resonate with fans on a deeply emotional level.
Watch “One World, One Game” below:
Marketing Winner #4: McDonald’s “GOL!”
Although it seems unlikely that a fast food chain would become the most successful brand to incorporate the World Cup into their marketing campaign, McDonald’s has snuck in a goal of its own with its viral soccer-themed ad entitled “GOL!” Wisely, McDonald’s placed the spotlight on soccer rather than the restaurant’s menu items in this light and entertaining clip. Unlike Nike, whose ad campaign featured high-profile soccer stars, McDonald’s sticks to a more authentic and grassroots style to reflect the fun, light-hearted side of the World Cup.
In fact, McDonald’s went a step beyond its video marketing to create an app-based augmented reality game by the same name. “GOL!”, the interactive game, uses a McDonald’s fry container to trigger an augmented reality while players attempt to make trick shots with a soccer ball on their phone screen. With 12 different World Cup-inspired fry containers to collect, McDonald’s creatively incorporated its marketing theme into multiple products. Like the accompanying television spot, McDonald’s “GOL!” app offers a fun, engaging, and refreshing twist on topical marketing.
Find out why McDonald’s “GOL!” garnered so much positive attention by watching the clip below:
Eliminated from the Game: Paddy Power
As with all forms of competition, not everyone can be a winner. Unfortunately, for Irish bookmaker Paddy Power, loss is sometimes a part of the game that is completely beyond your control. Reportedly, the brand had planned and confirmed an unconventional marketing stunt with Uruguay player Luis Suárez before the soccer star was suspended from the World Cup.
Suárez was to grin during a high-profile soccer match to reveal a mouth guard decorated with Paddy Power’s brand colors and logo. However, when he was suspended from nine official matches for biting another player, the mouth guard stunt became impossible, leaving Paddy Power on the sidelines of this marketing competition.
As with soccer, when it comes to marketing — you win some, you lose some!