# Self-Deprecating Soccer Ads This Landon Donovan World Cup Commercial Pokes Fun at the US Athlete By Alyson Wyers | Published 2014-06-17 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/landon-donovan-world-cup References: [buzzfeed](http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjkiebus/landon-donovan-scores-the-funniest-commercial-of-the-world-c) & [youtu.be](http://youtu.be/4KKgR5YWmYg) This hilarious Landon Donovan World Cup commercial theorizes about how the former US national team member has been getting up to. The professional athlete was recently cut from [Team USA](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/skipthedishes) and as such did not travel to Brazil to compete in the 2014 [FIFA](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kitkat1) World Cup. The EA Games advertisement shows the soccer player in his USA robe and slippers making coffee, walking past telling World Cup trophy zipper accessories and newspaper headlines, knocking over his own trophy while eating breakfast and dancing around. Finally he sits down to play the [FIFA video game](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lionel-messi-2) as himself and wins the cup. At the end of the Landon Donovan World Cup commercial he begins singing a song about not going to Brazil before breaking and laughing his head off. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.5/10 - Popularity: 1% | Activity: 6% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 90% men, 10% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Sports](https://www.trendhunter.com/sports) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Self-deprecating Ads:** Businesses can capitalize on humor by creating self-deprecating ads that poke fun at themselves or their products/services. - **Athlete Persona Branding:** Professional athletes can leverage their personal brand and create a loyal following by showcasing their personality in advertisements. - **Video Game Advertising:** Video game companies can increase sales by featuring real-life athletes in their games and promoting them in ads and commercials. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Sports Apparel:** Sports apparel companies can create ads that feature real-life athletes showcasing their personality, creating a more personal connection with potential customers. - **Consumer Electronics:** Consumer electronics companies can partner with video game companies to create ads that showcase their products as the best platform for gaming. - **Sports Video Games:** Sports video game companies can increase sales by featuring real-life athletes in their games and promoting them in ads and commercials. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Interactive Soccer-Themed Brand Activations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/henkel-house.md) - [Branded Pub Crawls](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/no-lays-no-game.md) - [Football Icon-Backed Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fifa-club-world-cup.md) - [Interactive Soccer Campaign](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/michelob-ultra1.md) - [Soccer-Centric Soda Spots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/refresh-the-game.md) - [Creative Eerie-Themed Soccer Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/scary-good.md) - [Lighthearted Football Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/7-stages-of-defeat.md) - [Motivational Athlete Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/adidas-you-got-this.md) - [Athlete-Backed Shoe Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/awaken-your-madness.md)