The FIFA World Cup 2026 is unique both in scale and as the first World Cup built for a world of AI, creator culture and interactive content. We are seeing brands moving beyond just visibility and actively working to become an integral part of the fans’ experience.
This shift has made for some very entertaining World Cup chats over the past few weeks, from showing each other epic movie-style Insta Reels of The Vikings vs Knights of the Realm to sharing snippets of reactionary brand activations like BA and Norwegian Airlines‘ high-stakes bet on the quarter-final result. Official sponsor Qatar Airways couldn’t resist joining the fun, offering to send both airlines live updates from the pitch. Genius! The result? Norwegian Airlines changed their social icon to the BA logo for a day following the England win.
With the semi-finals looming, our team has picked their favourite campaigns of the tournament so far. From José Mourinho debating VAR decisions with his ‘twin’ to a Christian charity harnessing the resurgence of collectables, here are our top picks:
Beccy’s pick
José vs Mourinho social series with Footballco & Coca-Cola
I’ve always been a fan of Mourinho’s distinct personality, and this tongue-in-cheek campaign captures it perfectly! Enlisting one of football’s most characteristic figures, Coca-Cola has collaborated with studio GRAIL, Google Cloud Delta and Footballco’s GOAL to bring us content at scale. Over 200+ pieces of content will be distributed daily across GOAL’s social media platforms during the tournament, and will see José Mourinho debating moments from the World Cup as they unfold with his AI ‘twin’. This is one of the first major global sports sponsorships where generative AI is central to the creative idea rather than simply helping to create assets, and I think we will see a lot more of this in future sponsorship campaigns.
Mourinho said: “I have had many battles in football, but this may be the funniest one yet: arguing with myself every day. Football is emotion, instinct and passion – and sometimes fans’ emotions shift every few minutes during a match. This project is about enjoying those emotions with humour and not taking ourselves too seriously.”
Image source: Coca-Cola Company
Miguel’s pick
LEGO “Everyone Wants a Piece”
I picked LEGO’s “Everyone Wants a Piece” campaign because, firstly, I’m a massive fan of their products. Secondly, they’ve done something more interesting than just sticking a football on the box. They turned Ronaldo, Mbappé, Messi and Vini Jr. into actual minifigures, with sets built around small details from each player’s career. For example, Ronaldo’s “Siiuuu” pose or Messi pointing to the sky. What stood out to me is how it brings two completely different audiences together, football fans and LEGO collectors, and gives both a reason to buy in. Therefore, it is a good example of a brand using a major sporting event without running the same generic World Cup ad everyone else does. Furthermore, it’s a clever way to ride the hype train, taking what makes the sport exciting (passion, signature moves, personality) and turning it into something that actually fits their own product.
Image source: Lego
Lisa’s pick
Paddy Power “Nobody Does Football Better Than Us”
My favourite World Cup advert has to be Paddy Power’s “Nobody Does Football Better Than Us.” It’s a brilliant example of how humour can make an advert memorable. Featuring Danny Dyer and Rob Lowe, the ad plays on the differences between the UK’s love of football and America’s “soccer”. It’s funny, self-aware and unapologetically British, making it stand out from more traditional, emotional football adverts. It just makes me giggle.
Image source: Paddy Power
Steph’s pick
Marmite “WeMite”
Since 1902, the famous British savoury spread Marmite has been a talking point. It’s divided households over the years between lovers and haters of the sticky brown stuff. However, support and excitement for England in the World Cup is reuniting lovers and haters of the spread across the UK and beyond.
As a fellow hater, they’ve won me over with their latest campaign, “WeMite”.
The limited-edition “WeMite” jars are sized based on fan optimism: 125g (“WeMite reach the quarters”), 250g (“WeMite reach the semis”), and 500g (“WeMite go and win it”). As part of the World Cup promotion, jars are available for passengers departing from Heathrow Airport to give them a little home-from-home comfort on their travels to the USA.
Image source: Marmite
Joel’s pick
Heinz and Heineken “The match we’ve all been waiting for”
My favourite World Cup campaign is a collaboration between two giants: Heinz and Heineken. They’ve launched a limited-edition six-pack containing five beers and a bottle of ketchup, billed as ‘the match we’ve all been waiting for’. It seems an unusual combination at first glance, but with BBQs, summer celebrations and watch parties, how often do we see the two together? As the team at Heinz puts it, ‘after more than 150 years of showing up at the same parties, Heinz and Heineken are finally arriving together’. Uniting two iconic brands leans into the World Cup theme of bringing people together – a unique message that resonates in a corporate world usually beset with brand rivalry and competition.
Image source: The Heineken Company
Laura T’s pick
Stella Artois x FIFA World Cup 2026™ I Celebration ft. David Beckham
To be completely honest, I’ve not been a big Beckham fan historically, but a couple of Netflix documentaries and a family feud later, I’ve a newfound respect for their down-to-earth approach to life and the challenges it’s thrown their way.
For me, part of the Beckham appeal is a willingness to set themselves up, and this is what I love about the Stella Artois ad starring David Beckham.
Here he is in serene observation, preserving his drink as his fellow fans throw pints everywhere, his well-honed nonchalance indicating a drink worth saving… although that’s purely my interpretation!
The real theme/angle is ‘Celebration’ with the objective of putting bars and pubs at the centre of the tournament experience. I personally don’t think this creative says that, and equally, the extended promotion giving pub-goers the chance to win a refund of their bar bill doesn’t seem to have gained much UK traction. But I love it as a memorable moment, beautifully edited; the slow motion captures the spirit of the ‘fans’ – a moment of still in a sea of fast-paced commercial ads.
Sue’s pick
Pray as they Play – Open Doors
It’s not just the big consumer brands that are thinking more creatively about tapping into the popularity of the World Cup fever to increase awareness. With the popularity of collectable cards rising this year, global Christian charity Open Doors have introduced their new ‘Pray as they Play’ prayer cards to help Christians pray for believers facing persecution whilst they watch the games. The fourteen cards are downloadable for free from the Open Doors Youth website, and feature participating countries that currently rank on the Open Doors World Watch List. The printed cards offer a reminder to supporters of the charity that they can pray for change, fairness and victories for Christians living in those countries throughout the tournament.
Image source: Open Doors
Katie’s pick
Google Gemini “For Every Goal”
As someone less interested in the actual game when it comes to football, I’ve enjoyed Gemini’s campaign showing footballers in a range of (admittedly somewhat contrived) contexts, from Harry Kane planning the perfect BBQ to Jordan Pickford’s goalkeeping yoga session, complete with a “helpful” commentator. By increasing the personal connection to the players, even in a small way, it makes you want to root for them even more – with some added practical tips as a bonus.
Quite the selection! As we settle in to watch the semi-finals tomorrow, there’s something wonderful about seeing colleagues, friends and family come together to enjoy these moments.
And with Wonderwall and Hey Jude filling the airwaves and the Nation’s hopes resting on the shoulders of Tuchel’s squad, there’s only one way to sign off: It’s coming home!