The FIFA World Cup is a grand spectacle of unbreakable friendship and cutthroat rivalry. Astounding teamwork and unhindered self belief. Great respect for opposing teams and devout patriotism towards one’s own country. With such a plethora of emotions swirling constantly in the minds of players while showcasing laser focus throughout each game, the World Cup is bound to be a hotspot for fans to provide their undivided attention and support for their favourite teams. Consequently, a large following also means large promotional opportunities. Hence, brands too love being associated with sports that have very high influences on their audiences. Football is one such sport and the FIFA World Cup is one such platform for brands to go all out marketing themselves.
A number of brands have been associated with the FIFA World Cup through the years. However, there has been one constant supporter of the sport. One brand that has consistently curated exceptional ad campaigns to not only promote itself but the sport as well. Nike has been tethered to the FIFA World Cup and football at large since donkey’s years. Having sponsored many teams and events, suffice to say, Nike is the sports biggest fan. As a brand, they have always impressed us with their creativity and ingenuity with every ad campaign that they have released during the World Cup season for years. Let’s take a look at some of the most prominent ad campaigns to have been released by the sports brand.
Nike ‘Footballverse’ Commercial
Haven’t we all wondered who the ‘Greatest Of All Time’ football player is? There has never been a conclusive answer. If you think about it, there is only one way to actually find out. You have to pit the current generation of football players against the old-school legends. Only then can you actually find out the truth. However, the possibility to get all the greats of the sport in one place and have them compete against each other is pretty unlikely. It seems quite implausible. In reality, it definitely is. Unless all these players are summoned to another universe, then getting them to play against each other is a very likely scenario. Nike’s latest advertisement does exactly that. All the greats of today and yesterday are assembled in a ‘footballverse’ using great minds, technology and time travel. Legends such as Kylian Mbappe, technologically de-aged Brazilian icon Ronaldinho, Christiano Ronaldo, Van Dijk, Edgar Davis, a brief cameo by Shuuya Gouenji of the Inazuma Eleven, and many more are pit against each other. A grand display of skills is showcased and as expected, there is no clear winner. This ad is futuristic and captures the essence of the sport beautifully. Out of the box thinking by Nike, to have come up with such a unique ad campaign.
NIke ‘Airport’ Commercial
If your flight gets delayed and you have nothing to do at the airport, what is the most logical way to spend your time? Read? No. Listen to music or watch a movie? Of course not. You need to play an impromptu game of football. The situation certainly calls for it. This ad by Nike, featuring a bored Brazil squad waiting to board a delayed flight, is seen breaking into a game of football. Everyone’s mood suddenly lights up and eager to play, they take their positions while evading security. Where’s the football pitch you ask? The entire airport is the playground. Everything from the interiors of the airport to the busy runway. The players go through a difficult situation having to navigate the ball through security officials trying to capture them and the other hustle and bustle of a busy airport. All of this culminates in the ball bouncing off the artificial goal post when the final shot is taken. An interesting concept and a clever advertisement conveying that there really isn’t any right time or place to forget all of your worries and start playing football.
Nike ‘Write The Future’ Commercial
This is probably the most real ad that Nike has released in terms of the World Cup. It captures the reality behind the sport while radiating electrifying energy. In a sport like football, one moment you’re a hero and a villain, in the next. How one bad moment can ruin your image for your fans. On the other hand, how a great moment can gain you immense love and success. The ad also showcases the impact football has on regular life, various industries as well as other sports. We see various people copy famous celebrations and skill moves from the sport including ‘Mamba’ Kobe Bryant after scoring in basketball. This is one of the most controversial ads that Nike has released but it is also one of the cleverest in terms of execution. Every frame conveyed a story. There wasn’t a moment where our attention lapsed. An epic ad from an epic brand.
Nike ‘Joga Bonito’ Commercial
“You can only make beautiful music if you know how to play in an orchestra.” Wiser words have never been spoken. This ad by Nike, takes us into the dressing room of the Brazilian football team before the game begins. The saying mentioned is a metaphor for how each player is better when they play together as a team. We see the team having fun practising skills in the dressing room with one another as warm up for the main game. The sound in this ad is particularly interesting if you pay close attention. The sound the ball makes every time a player passes it, plays along to the beat of the song in the ad. The ad promotes the fact that football isn’t just a game of scoring goals and winning trophies. It is a game to build relationships, encourage fair play and teamwork.