How World Cup Ad Campaigns Tell A Story Of Contemporary Life

World Cup Rivaling Super Bowl Ad Power

Even so, Backyard Legends has raised the bar for World Cup advertising, leading some observers to ask whether soccer’s premier global tournament is now beginning to rival the Super Bowl and it’s a long held reputation as an advertising showpiece.

Though the two events are very different to each other, the advertising creativity they induce is very similar, one commentator concluding that ads are a cultural mirror on contemporary life.

Which begs the question, what are Chalamet, his co-stars, and others actually reflecting?

For starters, the global battle for eyeballs and consumer dollars is intense, and in the sports apparel category, the likes of Nike will be out to seize sales and territory from their German rival.

Differentiating through advertisements and endorser relationships is some of the most powerful sources of competitive advantage companies can accumulate, also serving as barriers to the potential market entry of rival brands.

It also reveals that authenticity and narrative are important; Backyard Legends is based upon a true story about an unbeaten soccer team, which dates back to the 1990s.

Authenticity Becomes The Name Of The Game

In a world of fake news and contrived lives, brands appear to be seeking consumer engagement through resonance and truth rather than fabrication.

Nostalgia is an important part of this hence brands such as Brazilian beer Brahma recall past halcyon days, the alcoholic beverage business calling upon fans and consumers to “Let Yourself Believe”, using footage of past national team successes to reinforce the message.

The nostalgia motif is also played out through music, appropriately illustrated by the use of rap music throughout Backyard Legends, perhaps most notably via tracks such as Busta Rhymes’, “Woo-Hah!! Got You All In Check.”

If there’s one obvious recurrence across World Cup ads then it is David Beckham, indeed in a top-10 list of this summer’s best tournament ads the former England international appears in four of them.

He’s there in Adidas’s ad, but also in Lay’s, Pepsi’s, and Stella Artois’s.

Beckham always was a marketer’s dream, with his pop star wife, endless new hairstyles, and a burgeoning tattoo collection (before such bodily markings became ubiquitous) marking him out in the 2000s as the quintessential metrosexual male

There’s still considerable equity in Brand Beckham especially amongst millennials, but his appeal nowadays also comes via his European connections to the U.S., Inter Miami, Lionel Messi, Florida and that state’s large Hispanic, football obsessed community.

Yet the sense of “Soccer Americana” evident across multiple adverts isn’t just restricted to a single socio-demographic group, for instance Will Ferrell (a long-time soccer fan) appears in the Lay’s ad as brands grapple with engaging U.S. audiences that normally may not have a natural affinity with soccer.

Advertisers Worry About Controversy

One aspect of contemporary life that has seemingly spooked all advertisers is the potential for controversy.

In a complex, sensitive world of polarization and conflict, advertisers have attempted to sidestep difficult issues by using the likes of unity and humor alongside authentic storytelling, cool music and famous faces.

Lego’s Everyone Wants a Piece advert is one example of this albeit somewhat contrived in nature, although one reason for this could be that it marks the first time in history that they Danish toy brick business has had an official association with FIFA.

Even so, this approach – alongside that of others – is a far cry from the not so distant past when Nike deployed the likes of Colin Kaepernick to front its ‘Dream Crazy’ ad campaign.

Companies and brands have been highly cautious in their approaches for fear of antagonizing the Trump administration or inflaming domestic tensions in the U.S.

Still, no matter what politicians might be thinking, those who are the target of all these ads – soccer fans and other consumers – are worried that they are starting to get just as much attention as matches themselves.

With rumors circulating that the World Cup final’s halftime show may be extended to thirty minutes – similar to the Super Bowl – the opportunities for advertisers will likely increase.

This is all a long way from the original backyard legends, though the cost of Adidas’s World Cup ad alone provides evidence of how contemporary life is changing.