📺 X · Iconic Ads
The commercials that became part of the tournament. Nike's airport samba and "Write the Future", adidas's star-studded spots, Coca-Cola and Budweiser's anthems — the World Cup as the world's biggest advertising stage.
Part of World Cup
14 moments in this segment.
- — adidas Tango — the ball that defined an era. The adidas Tango, introduced for the 1978 World Cup, became the template for tournament match balls for decades — its triads of curved panels one of sport's most recognisable designs.
- — World Cup anthems and official songs. From Italia 90's "Un'estate italiana" (Gianna Nannini and Edoardo Bennato) onward, the official World Cup song became a fixture — Ricky Martin's "La Copa de la Vida" in 1998, Shakira's "Waka Waka" in 2010, anthems sung worldwide.
- — Nike — "Airport" (Brazilian team samba). Nike's 1998 World Cup spot shows the Brazil national team — Ronaldo, Romário, Roberto Carlos — playing keepy-uppy and samba football through an airport terminal to "Mas Que Nada". One of the most beloved football ads ever made.
- — Nike — "Secret Tournament" (Scorpion KO). Nike's 2002 "Secret Tournament", directed by Terry Gilliam, pitted 24 stars in a caged three-a-side knockout to Elvis's "A Little Less Conversation" — Cantona as referee, an instant classic of football advertising.
- — Pepsi — football star spots. Pepsi's long-running football campaigns pitted galaxies of stars — Beckham, Ronaldinho, Raúl, Roberto Carlos — in playful set-piece ads timed to the World Cup, the cola wars fought on the pitch.
- — Nike — "Joga Bonito". Nike's 2006 "Joga Bonito" ("play beautiful") campaign, fronted by Eric Cantona, celebrated skill and joy over cynicism — Ronaldinho's crossbar-juggling clip from the era becoming one of football's first viral videos.
- — adidas Jabulani — the ball everyone debated. The adidas Jabulani of 2010 became as talked-about as any advert — keepers and strikers complaining about its unpredictable flight, the rare case of a World Cup ball itself becoming the marketing story.
- — Nike — "Write the Future". Nike's 2010 epic imagines how a single moment could change a player's destiny — Rooney, Ronaldo, Ribéry — directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. It won the Cannes Film Grand Prix and defined the World Cup ad spectacle.
- — adidas — "The Quest" / star-studded spots. adidas answered Nike with its own all-star 2010 campaign, packing Messi, Kaká, Beckham and a cast of celebrities into cinematic spots — the advertising arms race that turns every World Cup into a brand battleground.
- — Coca-Cola — "Wavin' Flag" celebration. Coca-Cola's 2010 World Cup anthem campaign, built around K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" and the African goal-celebration of the Roger Milla generation, became the unofficial soundtrack of the first African World Cup.
- — Shakira — "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)". Shakira's "Waka Waka", the official song of the 2010 World Cup, became one of the best-selling World Cup songs ever and a defining sound of the first African World Cup.
- — Budweiser — "The World Is Yours to Take". Budweiser's 2022 anthem starring Messi, Neymar, Sterling and VinÃcius Jr captured the build-up to Qatar — days before the host nation's last-minute stadium beer ban turned the sponsorship into its own story.
- — World Cup mascots — from World Cup Willie. The 1966 lion "World Cup Willie" was the first World Cup mascot; the tradition runs through Naranjito, Ciao, Footix, Zakumi and La'eeb — branding characters as much a part of each tournament as the football.
- — Panini sticker albums — "got, got, need". Panini's World Cup sticker albums, first produced for the 1970 tournament, turned collecting and swapping players into a global childhood ritual every four years — "got, got, need".
