For many of us, soccer was the first team sport we played. Around age 4 or 5, you got your first YMCA jersey, picked a fun team name like the “Purple People Eaters,” and learned to kick the ball toward the goal, hoping to score on the other goalie who might have been busy making a daisy chain. Does this sound familiar?
While soccer is enjoyable to play, it isn’t always thrilling to watch. In the U.S., professional soccer hasn’t attracted a big audience, as sports like American football and basketball have taken the lead. However, this trend is gradually shifting. Major League Soccer has built a larger base of dedicated fans over the years. This growth has increased interest in international soccer teams and generated excitement around the World Cup.
Here’s a few statistics about the 2010 World Cup viewership worldwide. Keep in mind that 106 million people, worldwide, watched the Super Bowl in 2010.
- 909.6 million television viewers watched at least one minute of the finals
- 619.7 million television viewers watched 20 consecutive minutes of Spain’s extra-time win
- 530.9 million average in-home global audience for the final game
- 3.2 billion people or 46.4% of the population watched a minimum of one minute during the tournament
- 188.4 million average of viewers for each match
- Audiences were from 80 territories, making up 70% of the world’s population
With numbers like that, it’s no surprise that large companies are jumping at the chance to be involved with advertising at the 2014 World Cup in Rio de Janeiro. Here are my top 3 favorite advertising and marketing campaigns currently running for the 2014 World Cup.
Nike
Not only is Nike one of the most recognizable brands in the world, but they have become a major player in the world of soccer – becoming one of the major sponsors of the national soccer teams and individual players. In order to boost their presence in the 2014 World Cup, Nike got creative and started their “Risk Everything” campaign on YouTube. Starting June 1st, 2014, Nike started releasing 7 second teasers for their “Last Game” video that was to be released June 9th. Of course when the video was released it went viral and in just one day has 10.4 million views. The video is a story about risky soccer versus safe soccer, staring Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, Rooney, Zlatan and Iniesta.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries
McDonald’s
It’s always impressive to see professional athletes do tricks, but in the case of this commercial, the tricks are done by average people, including children! Not only does this commercial celebrate “soccer fever” by showcasing some of the craziest trick shots ever but it is also sure to put a smile on your face. A spokesperson told Ad Week, “I can conform there was no CGI used on the film.” Very impressive, McDonald’s!
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola took a different approach to advertising for the World Cup this year. In order to 
connect the world with Brazil, the hosting country, Coca-Cola collaborated with Sao Paulo street artist, Speto to create limited edition 2014 FIFA World Cup Cans. They wanted the cans to capture the color and characteristics of Brazilian street art.
“Just as Brazil is everyone’s country and Coca-Cola is everyone’s drink, the FIFA World Cup is everyone’s cup. Through “The World’s Cup,” Coca-Cola wants to celebrate real people playing football, demonstrating how the game is a force for more inclusive and connected world.” – Joseph Tripodi
These advertising campaigns definitely got me excited to watch the World Cup, hopefully they did the same for you! Make sure to start watching the World Cup starting tomorrow June 12th – be on the lookout for more great advertising campaigns being run throughout the tournament.
Read more: World Cup Advertisers Evenly Split on Subtitles for Deaf Viewers