Nike has released an epic new World Cup ad film titled ‘Winner Stays.’ Nike may not be an official sponsor of the World Cup—rival Adidas claims that honor—but that didn’t stop it from enlisting the services of almost every recognizable Nike-sponsored footballer on the planet for the ad.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andrea Pirlo and Gerard Pique are among the big names featured. Basketball player Kobe Bryant and UFC fighters Anderson Silva and Jon Jones also appear in the ad, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s gorgeous supermodel girlfriend Irina Shayk also making a cameo.
The 4-minute World Cup ad begins with two teams challenging each other to a pick-up soccer game. As the game begins, the players begin to fantasize that they are international superstars. As a result, their pick-up game transforms into a showcase of the world’s biggest footballing talents.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Celebrity Sponsorship
- Opportunity for brands to tap into the popularity and influence of celebrities to promote their products or services.
- Fantasy Sports
- Growing trend of incorporating elements of fantasy and imagination into sports-related activities and promotions.
- Global Sporting Events
- Increasing demand for innovative and captivating advertising campaigns during major sporting events like the World Cup.
Where This Applies
- Sports Apparel
- Potential for disruptive innovation in the sports apparel industry by leveraging popular athletes and their global fanbase for marketing campaigns.
- Advertising and Marketing
- Opportunity for disruptive innovation in advertising and marketing strategies, leveraging fantasy and celebrity endorsements to create engaging campaigns.
- Entertainment
- Growing synergy between sports and entertainment industries, as demonstrated by the use of celebrities and fantasy elements in the Nike World Cup ad.
