This World Cup is expected to drive more than $10 billion in advertising spend, according to marketing firm WARC.
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Sporting events have traditionally represented advertising moments for brands, the World Cup being no exception. Competition for screen time, sponsorships and logo viewership is fierce. Except this year, the World Cup is not just an advertising stage: it has become a month-long commercial event, with in-person brand experiences taking center stage.
Beyond stadiums and TV screens, branded pop-ups, grocery aisles, malls and food chains are turning into collectible hubs, doubling as soccer fan experiential spaces to drive foot traffic and loyalty. Rather than relying on a single campaign, brands are building experiences designed to keep consumers engaged. Interestingly, the ones building momentum are not necessarily sponsors, because conversations are increasingly happening outside the tournament: “The World Cup match will be the base layer. Meaning will be assembled elsewhere, across social feeds, watch-alongs, creator commentary, group chats, memes and remixes,” shared Dan Holt, strategy partner at Havas Media in a report by marketing research firm WARC Media.
TikTok illustrates well that shift. The platform has become an official sponsor, after it reached an agreement with FIFA to enhance coverage of the World Cup. Research has shown that there is a 42% increased likelihood of tuning in to a full game after watching clips and interviews on TikTok, according to WARC Media. More broadly, we are seeing that the brands generating the most engagement are not necessarily the ones spending the most on sponsorship rights. Instead, they are brands acting like creators, publishing dozens of reactive videos throughout the tournament instead of a handful of ads. Brands like Levi’s, Nike, or Taco Bell have gained massive traction both on social media and in person by jumping on buzz, creating relevant limited-time menu items, and creating content based on game scores.
If anything, both retail and social media can teach us one lesson about modern marketing: ad spend might boost reach, but may not bring relevance. Instead, engaging with consumers not just during the match, but before, after, and everywhere in between throughout their World Cup itinerary is what drives cultural relevance and impact. Below are a few examples of brands doing just that.
Olipop Brings Better-For-You Soda Relevance
To capitalize on the month-long tournament, Olipop has combined in-real-life experiences with out-of-home campaigns. The brand is sponsoring a 30-day series of watch parties in Dallas, Texas, featuring a “Feel Good” soda bar alongside jersey customization with collectible patches. It is also running outdoor campaigns around stadiums in Miami and Los Angeles to increase visibility. On a mission to provide better-for-you soda alternatives, Olipop is very well placed to be the drink of choice for soccer fans and viewers looking for healthier sodas to enjoy under the summer heat.
Rather than advertising during the tournament, Olipop is embedding itself into the fan experience. By turning watch parties into product discovery moments, the brand reaches consumers precisely when soft drink consumption peaks, while reinforcing its positioning as a healthier alternative to traditional game-day beverages.
Taco Bell Joins The Fandom With Free Tacos
Throughout the tournament, the chain has come up with unique content and promotions to embrace the fandom around the World Cup. First, it announced that it would be giving away tacos in a humorous campaign aimed at soccer fans. It launched L.O.C.O.S. (Loss Or Celebration Outcome Support) reward tacos for fans “when they need them most, turning culture’s biggest wins and losses into a global emotional support taco program,” as described in the company’s press release. Customers must download and log into the Taco Bell app to earn rewards, claim tacos and compete for exclusive merchandising.
The initiative extends beyond digital rewards, with a series of events around the world. Taco Bell is hosting watch parties and taco giveaways during street-style celebrations across the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Spain. “No matter where you are in the world, fandoms may look different, but the feelings are universal: celebration, disappointment, loyalty, and the need for a taco when the moment calls for it,” said Amy Durini, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, Taco Bell International.
Unilever Invests In Content Creation At Scale
Unilever has tapped 50,000 creators and influencers globally to cover the event at home, games, and branded pop-ups around the world. As the official personal care brand of the World Cup, Unilever aimed to get Dove, Rexona and Axe to show up in front of consumers in a fun and relevant way. “We’ll be creating […] live streams, social-selling, contests, football one-on-ones, watching games together, all of it fueled by what’s actually happening in the stadiums and fan zones,” shared Rani Al Hajji, chief growth and transformation officer for Unilever Personal Care, in a statement. “The goal is to flood the feed with content generated by real people, real influencers, real celebrities, powered by our brands”.
In addition to social media content, marketing initiatives involve physical activations. It is hosting events daily at its House of Fresh pop-up in New York City and Miami, allowing 1,200 creators to capture unique activities and interactions with sports legends and relay them on social media. Rather than treating physical activations and social media as separate channels, the company is using one to fuel the other, transforming in-person experiences into content that can be distributed globally at scale.
While official partnerships still provide visibility, the brands generating the most conversation are those that react quickly, create experiences worth sharing, and extend the tournament into everyday consumer life. Whether through retail activations, creator-led storytelling, limited-time products, or fan experiences, the new playbook is less about interrupting audiences with advertising and more about giving them something to participate in.
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