2026年世界杯营销启示 Lessons in sports marketing FIFA World Cup 2026

Lessonsinsports

marketing

Cup2026

FIFAWorldTableofcontentsIntrotothe2026FIFAWorldCup&howbrandsgetinvolved

3What’sinthisreport&keytermstoknow

6Whatwelearnedaboutsoccerfanculture

8FIFA

sponsors

13●AB

InBev14●Coca-Cola

59Non-FIFA

sponsors

71●Diageo

31●Unilever

46Takeaways

111The2026FIFAWorld

CupThe2026FIFAWorldCupissettobethebiggesttournamentinthecompetition’s

history.Hostedacrossthreecountriesforthefirsttimeever—theUS,Canadaand

Mexico—thisyear’stournamentwillexpandacross48teamsand104matches.ButtheWorldCupisaboutfarmorethansoccer.It’samonth-longculturaleventthatbringstogetherbillionsoffansacrosssport,entertainment,

foodandsocialmedia.Forbrands,thatmakesitoneoftheraremomentswheremassreachandemotionalengagementcollideatatrulyglobalscale.

Andthesizeofthisyear'stournamentalsomeansevenmoreopportunitiesfor

brandstogetinvolved.Thebrandsthatshowupsuccessfullyatthesetypesofeventsareoftentheones

thatunderstandhowfanscelebrateandparticipate—findingauthenticwaystoaddtothatexperience.

Andwe'veseenmanydifferentapproachesandplaysfrom

brandsofallsizesthisyear!Clutch™the

Bald

Eagle

from

the

UnitedStates,Maple™the

Moose

from

Canadaand

Zayu™the

Jaguar

from

Mexico

MEETTHE

MASCOTS

3SCALESportsmarketingisnolongeraonechannelplay.

Themosteffectivecampaigns

don’tstop

at

a

singleTVspot.Theyconnectacrosssocial,digital,influencers,partnerships,productsandexperientialactivations.Thegameistheanchor,butabrand’simpactcanextendwellbeyond.EMOTIONDuringlivegames,fansaren’tpassive,they’reemotionallyinvested.Everycall,everyplay,everywinandeverylosscarries

weight.Whenbrandsshowupintherightway,

thatemotioncantranslateintogreater

recallandconnection.ATTENTIONLivesportsareoneofthelastremainingexperienceswherepeoplewatchinrealtime—whichmeansyouaren’tcompeting

withaskipbutton.Forbrandslookingtomakeabigimpression,that’sahuge

advantage.CULTURELivesportsalsoofferadirectlineintoculture.Biggameslikethisextendoffthe

field.

Theytakeovergroupchats,socialmedia,headlinesandmore.

Thisiswhere

brandscangotobecomepartoftheconversation.Theroleofsports

marketingFirst,let’scovertherolesportsmarketingplaysinaneventlikethe

FIFAWorldCup.Inaworldofendlessscrollingandskippedads,livesportsareoneofthefewplaceswherebrandsstillgetundivided

attention.

That’swhatmakessportsmarketingsopowerfulandsocompetitive—itholdsauniquepositionbecauseit

brings

together

something

that’s

increasingly

hard

to

find:attention,emotion,culture

and

scale,all

at

once.4How

brands

can

get

involvedThereareahugenumberofwaysbrandscangetinvolvedinmarketingforanevent

liketheWorldCup.Andthere’snoone-size-fits-allapproachthatdeterminessuccess,whichmeanswhetheryouhaveatieronesponsor-sized

budgetorsomethingmoremodest,therearestillmanywaysbrandscanshowupandmakeanimpact.Limited-editionreleasesTypicallyreservedforofficialsponsors,limitededitionpackaging,

flavors,scentsormerchcanserveasacollectibleitemforfansandagreatopportunityforsweepstakes.Athlete&influencercollaborations

Athletesbringinbuilt-inaudiencesandcredibility.Butthepartnershiphastofeelauthentictowork.

Thebestcollabsoftenfeellikeanaturalextensionofboththeathlete’sandbrand’sidentity.Experientialactivations

Fromfanexperiencestopop-ups,liveactivationsgivepeoplesomethingtoremember—andsomethingtoshare.

Thesemomentscanturnpassivefansintoactiveparticipants.In-game&digitaladvertisingTVspots,digitaladsandin-stadiumadplacementsoffermassivereachandvisibility.It’sabiginvestment,butwhendonewellitcandeliverbigonbrandawareness.Sponsorships&partnershipsSponsorshipswithleagues,teamsoreventsgivebrandsconsistentexposureanddeeperassociation.Buttherealvaluecomesfromhowbrandsactivatethepartnership.Social&real-timemarketingSomeofthemosttalkedaboutsportsmomentshappenonsocialmedia,inreal-time.Quickthinkingandstrongcreativecangoalongway

here.5ThisreportseekstohelpbrandslearnfromgreatexamplesofWorldCupmarketing.Sincethe2026FIFAWorldCupishostedbytheUS,CanadaandMexico,wefocusedonactivationsthere,

leveragingtheZappiplatformtotestnewadcampaignsandnewproductlaunches—primarilyinCPGcategories.Whatwefoundwasreallyinteresting.Foracountrythathasn’thistoricallyembracedsoccer,

theUSisvery

excitedaboutthiseventandbrandsareshowingupinabigwaytocapitalizeonthatexcitement.Wesaw

somanylimited-timeproductsreleasedinthatmarket!Overall,ourbiggesttakeawayisthattherearemanydifferentwaysforbrandstoshowupforaneventlikethis.FIFAsponsorshavethebiggestcampaignsacrossmultipledifferentbrandsandcountries,butconsumersdon’tcareoroftenevennoticeifabrandisanofficialFIFAsponsor.Individualteamsponsorships

canmakeabigimpactintheirmarketstoo.

Andevengeneralsoccertie-inswithnosponsorshipsgetpeople

excited.There’sclearlya“WorldCupeffect”inplacehere,whereanythingthatfeelsassociatedwiththeeventcatchespeople’sattention.

Andthat’sgoodnewsfornon-sponsors.

There’salwaysawaytotieyourbrand

toaculturalmoment!Ifitfitswithyourbrand,ofcourse.First,we'llsharewhatoursurveyof2,000USviewersrevealedabouthowpeopleplantowatchbefore

diggingintothecampaignsthemselvesandwhatwecanlearnfromthem.6What’sinthisreportKeytermstoknowbeforeyou

readBeforewedivein,thereareafewZappimetricsweshoulddefine.BreakthroughpotentialMeasureshowdistinctiveandadvantageousaproductfeelscomparedtoothersinthecategory.Foroccasion-specificproducts,

thisscorealsoreflectstheculturalmomenttheproductistiedto.TrialpotentialMeasurespurchaselikelihood,

testedwithoutapriceforacleanreadonconceptstrength,andagainwiththeactualpriceshown.

Theresultistwotrialpotentialmeasures—pricedandunpriced.Brand

impactMeasuresanad'spotentialtobuildbrandequityandlong-termsalesimpact,builtfromsignalsincludingbrandrecall,relevance,branddistinctivenessandhowwelltheadmeetscategoryneeds.Sales

impactMeasuresanad'spotentialtodriveshort-termsales,builtfromsignalsincludingaddistinctiveness,emotionalresonance,brandrecallandpurchaseintent.Eachofthesemetricsarepercentilescores—whichtellsyouwherethescorefallsrelativetoanormativedatabase.

Forads,

that’sacountrynorm,

forinnovation,it’sacategory-specificcountrynorm.Oklet’sdivein!INNOVATION

ADVERTISING7Keytakeaways:●

NearlytwothirdsofWorldCupviewersaren'tregularsoccer

fans—the

cultural

moment

pulls

in

a

far

widercrowdthanthesportalone,andtheopportunityfor

brandsreflectsthat.●

The

match

is

only

part

of

the

experience

—food,drinkandsocializingmatter

justasmuch,givingbrandswell

outsidethesoccerworldanaturalentrypoint.●Player

influenceis

powerful

withdevotedfans

but

dropssharplyamongcasualviewers—howyouposition

your

athlete

matters

as

much

as

who

yousign.●Products

and

packaging

are

part

of

how

fansparticipate—limitededitionsandshareableformats

givethematangiblewaytofeelpartofthemoment.SoccerfancultureFormoresportsmarketingtakeaways,download

our

Super

Bowl

report.

GETTHE

REPORT

8The

World

Cup

audience

is

biggerandbroaderthanyoumightexpectNearlytwothirdsofpeopleplanningtowatchtheWorldCup

(64%)arecasualviewers,occasionalfansorpeoplewhodon't

followsocceratall.Avidfans—thedevotedaudiencemostbrandspicture—comprise

only13%.Thetournamentpullsinafarwidercrowdthanthesportalonewouldandthey'reyoungerandmoremulticulturalthan

anyothermajorsportingeventintheUS.45%of18-34year-olds

plan

to

watchasmuchoftheWorldCupaspossible—more

than

any

other

age

group.Data

source:Zappi

survey

of2,000

US

respondents,May

2026Who’s

watching

the

World

Cup9The

World

Cup

is

a

cultural

and

socialoccasionbeforeit’sasportstournamentWhenaskedwhat'simportanttotheirWorldCupexperience,fansrankfood

and

drink(46%),time

with

others(45%)and

the

overallatmosphere(41%)alongside

the

match

itself(50%).Formajorityofthefans,thewiderculturalandsocialoccasionis

just

asimportantaswhathappensonthepitchandthat’sgoodnewsfor

brandswelloutsidethesoccerworld.The

gap

is

tiny.Food

and

drink(46%)matters

nearly

as

much

to

fans

as

thematch

itself(50%).What’s

important

to

the

World

Cup

experienceData

source:Zappi

survey

of2,000

US

respondents,May

202610Players

drive

fandom,pop

icons

drive

reach56%offanssayspecificplayersinfluencewhichteamstheysupport,andplayerassociationisoneofthetopdriversofWorld

Cupproductpurchaseintent.Butplayerinfluencevariesalotbyengagement—only18%ofcasualviewerssayplayersinfluencethemalot,comparedto53%

ofavidfans.Themosteffectiveplayer-ledcampaignsuseathletesascultural

figuresfirstandsoccerplayerssecond,puttingthemalongside

mainstreamcelebritiestobroadentheirappealwellpastthedevotedfan.Players

influence53%ofavidfansbutonly18%Data

source:Zappi

survey

of2,000

US

respondents,May

2026

ofcasualviewers.

How

much

players

influence

the

teams

fans

support11Over

half

of

viewers

say

they're

likely

to

purchaselimited-editionWorldCupproducts,andthedriverstellus

exactlywhatthey'rebuyinginto:exclusivity(34%),

special

packaging(30%)andproductsthatareeasytoshare(30%).Theygivefansatangiblewaytofeelpartofthemoment.Thisgoesbeyond

justconsumption.

Thebrandsthatearn

aplaceintheWorldCupmomentaretheonesthatmake

themselvespartoftheritual.52%ofviewersarelikelytobuyalimited-edition

World

Cup

product.Data

source:Zappi

survey

of2,000

US

respondents,May

2026ProductsshouldbepartoftheexperienceReadmoreaboutsoccerfan

cultureintheUSonour

blog

READ

MORE

WhatmakesfanslikelytopurchaseWorldCupproducts12FIFAsponsors

●

Popculturecastingisprominentthroughout.Many(butnot

all)FIFAsponsorsincorporatefamoussoccerplayersaswell

asbroaderpopculturecelebritiesintheirads.

Thatmattersbecauseinourdata,playerinfluenceislargelyadevotedfan

thing—popculturefiguresaretheoneswhoreacheveryone

else.●Limited-time

products

are

earning

their

place.AlltheFIFAsponsorsreleasedlimited-timeFIFAproductsand

weseethattheyareacorepartoftheexcitementaroundtheevent.

Thebestscoringaretheonesthatgivefanssomethingtobeapartof,andthatmapsdirectlytowhat

fanstoldusthey'rebuyinginto.●Every

brand

owns

a

ritual

or

a

core

aspect

of

the

event.Eachbrandwelookedattieditscampaigntosomespecificaspectoftheoveralltournament,liketheemotional

journey,playfulrivalries,game-dayprep,etc.●Each

ad

campaign

plays

a

clear

role.Each

ad

campaigntargetsaspecificaudienceorconveysaspecificmessage

aboutthebrand.OftenweseethattheFIFAsponsorsreleasedsomeadsthatspeaktomorededicatedfansand

somethataremorebroadlyenjoyable.

TheWorldCuphas

twodistinctaudienceswatchingthesametournament,andthebrandsthatspeaktobothtendtounlockthe

biggestcommercialopportunity.We

took

a

deep

look

at

the

campaigns

of

four

major

FIFA

sponsors,and

while

each

one

is

unique,there

are

some

key

similarities:13Key

learnings:●Distinctivebrandassets(DBAs)alwaysmatter(Budweiser’siconicred,StellaArtois’chalice,Michelob

ULTRA’s“superior”languageandCorona’scrownsymbolismandMexicanidentity).●

Celebritiesworkbestwhentheyserveanad’sstoryand

don’tovershadowthebrand.DavidBeckhamandLionelMessiworkforStellaArtoisandMichelobULTRAbecause

theyfitwiththestoryandletthebrandshine—evenif

bothofthosecelebritiesareinotheradsthisseason.●Whenbringing

multiple

brandsinthesamecategoryinto

asportssponsorship,giveeachbrandaclearroleinthe

campaignandanaspectoftheeventtoown.●Bigsportingeventsareapowerfulopportunitytobuildon

and

reinforce

existing

brand

platforms

orassociations.Stellareinforceditspremiumidentity,

CoronareinforceditsroleinMexicanculture,etc.14AB

InBevABInBev:Owning

thehabitualmomentsSponsorshipstatus:OfficialBeerSponsorOwnership:HabitualritualsThroughBudweiser,

ABInBevhaspartneredwithFIFAsince1986astheOfficialBeerSponsor—along-standingrolethatalreadymakesthebrandfeellikepartofthetournament.Forthisyear’sFIFA

WorldCup,

thecompanyisdoublingdownonthatheritage.Beerisalreadyasocial,habitualchoice.Insteadoftryingtochangebehavior,

ABInBevisfocusingon

showingupforwhatfansarealreadydoing,whetherthat'spickingupdrinksbeforekickofformeetingat“thespot”tocelebratekeymomentstogether.Toachievethis,thecompanyisshowingupinthreemainwaysacrossitsbrands:1.Advertisingthatcentersonfansandsharedemotionratherthangameplay.2.Limited-editionpackagingandapparelthattiesintothetournamentandgivesfanssomething

tangibletoconnectwith.3.On-the-groundexperiences,suchasfanzonesandwatchparties,thatbring

peopletogether

outsidethestadium.Asitsflagship,Budweisersharesglobalbrandmessagingacrossallmarkets,Coronaspecifically

targetsMexicanaudiencesandMichelobULTRAtargetsUSandCanadianconsumers.15AB

InBev16Budweiser:Flagship

global

brandBudweiseristheemotionalandculturalanchorofABInBev’soverallFIFAWorldCupstrategyat

thegloballevel.ItsroleinthecampaignistoembodythecoreemotionalspectacleoftheWorld

Cupeventandwhatitmeanstofansworldwide.BudweiserhasthelongestrelationshipwithFIFA,firstpartneringwiththeorganizationin1986—

sothisyearBudweiseriscelebrating40yearsastheOfficialBeerSponsoroftheFIFAWorldCup!Theglobalplatformiscenteredaroundthephrase“LetItPour,”whichreferstothepouringofbeeraswellastheoutpouringofemotionpassionatesoccerfansexperienceduringaneventof

thismagnitude.

Thebrandsaystheplatform

“captureshowthatpassionspillsbeyond

the

pitch–

turning

bars,homes,andcitiesintoashared

celebrationover39days.

Itshows

how

the

worldcomestogether,andstrangers

become

teammatesastheycheerontheirteam

witha

Budweiseror

Budweiser0.0%in

hand.

”Thebrand’sheroad,

“LetItPour,”

followstherippleeffectofWorldCupexcitementasfansaroundtheworlddropwhatthey’redoingtogetreadyandcelebrateintheirownway.Featuring

currentandformerplayersErlingHaalandandJürgenKlopp,thespotmovesthroughpackedbars,

stadiums,livelystreetsandmore,showingbeerliterallypouringastheenergyandemotionofthe

tournamentoverflowacrossdifferentculturesandcommunities.17Budweiser:“Let

It

Pour”“LetItPour”isastrongadthatlandsinthetop20%ofUSadsinitsabilitytodrivesalesandthetop

25%initsabilitytodrivelong-termbrandequity.Butmostimportantly,thisadisallabouttheemotion.“LetItPour"aimstoreplicatethefeelingofagoal

—

thebuildupofanticipationandcelebrationafterward.

Theadopensonatremblingpinttobuildthat

anticipationratherthanacelebration.

Thatopeningdeviceisdoingemotionalworkbeforeasingleword

isspokenanditactivatesthepre-goalanxietythateverysoccerfancarries.Theadisbuilttoevokelove—anditisthedominantemotion(33%vs27%norm)—with

peoplefeeling

itfromthefirstsecondweseeabottleofBudweiserslideacrossabar.Butthere'shumorinthere,

too.

Asthechaostakeshold—beerflyingupwardandfanslosingallcomposure—laughterbuildsthrough

thebackhalfofthead.

Theadportraystheideathatsoccerfandomcanbealittleover-the-topandpeoplefindthatfunny

towatch.ButBudweiserspeaksthelanguageofdevotedsoccerfandom—everythingfromthetensionsatthestartthroughtotheexcitementaroundscoringagoalandthecelebrationthatfollows.

Thisiswhylove

jumpsfrom33%to54%amongsoccerfans.Itstillworkswitheveryone,butit’sstrongestwithsoccerfanssinceit’sspecifictosoccerfandom.Finally,outofalltheABInBevadsweanalyzedintheUS,ithasthehighestbrand

recall(76%vs.70%norm)—duetoitsprolificuseofthebrand’sspecificshadeofredandthefrequentshotsofthelogo,

includingonBudweisercansandglassesofbeer!Love

Soccer

fansSales

impactBrand

impactUnaidedbrand

recallOverall33%54%76%Norm70%Norm27%Norm27%778118A

beer

for

everyoneWe’llgetintothespecificsoftheadsfromStellaArtoisandMichelobULTRAintheUS,butit’simportanttocompareBudweisertothoseadsheretoshowwhatroleBudweiser

isplayingintheABInBevWorldCupcampaign.Budweiserleadson“crispandrefreshing,”“forpeoplelike

me”and

“rooted

intradition,”

allqualitiesthatsignalthebrandisaccessible,builtforeveryoneandhasalonghistory

—exactlywhatthisadwasdesignedtoconvey.Whiletheotherbrandsarefocusedonconveyingotherattributes,Budweiserisleaning

onitshistorytodemonstratethatitisthebeerofthepeople,andtheonetobeshared.BudweiserStella

ArtoisMichelobULTRABudweiserStella

ArtoisMichelobULTRABudweiserStella

ArtoisMichelobULTRACrispandrefreshingForpeople

like

meRootedintradition“The

refreshing

beershots(mademewantacoldone).

”“Ilikeacrowdhavingfun

with

Bud.

"“Ilovehowitmadepeople

happy

and

come

togetherforfun.

"

“Itmademefeellike

celebrating

withaBud.

”36%42%45%24%17%1940%34%36%31%Stella

Artois:Sophisticated&socialStellaArtoishasalwaysbeenaboutsophistication,slowerconsumptionandpremiumtaste—

ideasthatcometolifeinitsiconicchalicelinedingold,itsfocusontheritualofpouringand

the“ATasteWorthMore”campaignlaunchedin2024withDavidBeckham.TheseideasextendnaturallyintoABInBev’sWorldCupcampaign,whichpositionsStellaArtois

asthepremiumbeverageforsocialconsumptioninthebroaderportfolio.

ThecompanysaysthatStellaArtois“isfocusingonwherethetrueroarofthegame

lives–the

passionate,shared

energyoffanswatchingtogether”andthat

“momentsof

greatpassiondeservetobesavored.

”Itsherocampaign

“Celebrationft.DavidBeckham”

bringsthistolifebeautifullythroughvisuals,

notspokendialogue.ItfeaturesDavidBeckhamwatchingamatchinacrowdedbar.Suddenlythe

whole

bar

erupts

in

excitement—in

slow

motion

while

Elvis

Presley’s“Can’t

Help

Falling

inLove”plays—andbeerglassesarethrownintheair,spillingbrokenglassandbeereverywhere.

Beckham,whileexcited,hasretainedcompletecontroloverhisStellaArtois(initsiconicchalice)andtakesasip.

Theadendson“ATasteWorthMore.”Thebrandisalso“transformingbarsintotheultimateviewingarenas,”launchinggiveaways

withavarietyofprizes—includinglimited-timebrandedmerchandiseanditemssignedbyDavid

Beckham—and

limited-time

FIFA

packaging

on

Stella

Artois

cans.20Stella

Artois:“Celebration

ft.DavidBeckham”Thisadisanexceptionalall-roundperformer,landinginthetop10%ofUSadsforitsabilityto

driveshort-termsalesandinthetop20%forlong-termbrandequity.It’s

a

distinctive

ad

that

makes

people

love

it

and

laugh

during

it

(Love:36%vs.27%

norm,Laughter:12%vs.7%norm)and

it

drives

strong

purchase

uplift(39%vs

22%norm).Butmostimportantly,allthoseassociationsStellaArtoiswantstoconveyarecomingthrough.AudiencesagreethattheadconveysthatStellaArtoisis“greatforsocializing,”“highquality"and

has“great

taste”(57%each).Theaddoesallofthisbyshowing,nottelling.

TheiconicStellaArtoischalicecuesthebrandimmediately—whilealsoconveyingpremiumandsophisticationinthewaythechalicealwaysdoes.

Andthe

juxtapositionofcelebratorychaosandBeckham’scoolcomposuretellsthestorythat

Stella

Artois

is

premium

and

not

worth

spilling

like

the

rest

of

the

beers.BeckhamiswelllovedandanobviouschoicefortheWorldCupgivenhisglobalsoccercredentials.Butotherbrandsarefeaturinghimforthesamereason.WhatseparatesStella’scastingchoiceistheconsistentnarrativebehinditandthefactthatthebrand’sownDBAs—

thechalice,the

logo,the

tagline—ensure

it

never

gets

lost

behind

the

celebrity.GreatforsocializingHigh

qualityGreattasteSales

impactBrand

impactLaughter57%57%57%Love

36%12%Norm27%Norm7%849321The

importance

of

DBAsStellaArtoishasbeenusingDavidBeckhaminitsadvertisingforseveralyears—butthebrandwaswisetorememberthatBeckhamisnotadistinctivebrandasset.Heisconnectedtoanumberofotherbrandsthisseasonduetohisuniquepositionof

beingapopculturefigureaswellasaformersoccerplayer.TheStellaArtoisbranddoesn’tgetlostinthisadthankstoitsotherDBAs(particularlyits

iconicchalice)andclearroleforthebrand.Alwaysrememberthatunlessyou’vebeenexclusivelypartneringwithacelebrityforalongtime,thatcelebrityisnotyourDBA.

Youneedotherbrandcuestoensureyourbrand

doesn’tgetlost.Keytakeaway

22Stella

Artois:Limited-editioncansStellaArtoishasalsoreleasedlimited-timeFIFAWorldCupcans.

TheFIFA

branding

issubtlefor

this

one—thecansarethebrand’sstandardwhitecanswithredandgolddetail,butwiththeaddition

of

a

gold

FIFA

logo

with

a

white

FIFA

World

Cup

trophy

in

the

middle.Thesecansscoreinlinewiththenormondistinctiveness—understandableconsideringtheyaren’ttoodifferentfromthebrand’soriginalcan.Buttheydostandoutfortheiradvantage(60%vs.49%norm).Andtheproduct’strialpotentialishigh(89).

Thepriceof$16.99forapackof12islowerthan

whatpeoplewouldexpectforapremiumproduct,andthatdrivesincreasedtrial.Importantly,unlikesomeotherbrandswe’vefeaturedinthisreport,purchaseoftheseexactcans

isn’ttheprimarygoalofthecampaign.DrivingpurchaseofanyStellaArtoisproduct,particularly

inbarsandrestaurants,ismoreofthefocus.

ThesecanshelpdrivetheassociationsbetweenStellaArtoisandtheFIFAWorldCup,buttheyare

justonepieceoftheoverallcampaign.“Ilovethesleekandelegantdesignoftheslimcans.Thegoldaccents

mixedwith

the

classic

Stella

branding

lookincredibly

premium,makingitfeellikeahigh-end

collector'sitemforthe

tournament.

”Priced

trial

potentialBreakthrough

potentialAdvantageDistinctiveness70%60%Norm49%Norm73%896123MichelobULTRA:A