What: World Cup activations and partnerships have begun as the tournament kicked off last weekend.
Why it matters: Companies are leveraging stars like Lionel Messi and Ronaldo while soccer interest is highest globally.
We will certainly see more brands looking to grab viral opportunities and ride the wave of success as the FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) plays out. Here is a look at some of the early partnerships announced as we enter the first full week of group play.
Kellogg’s Serves Soccer: Taking advantage of the early start times on the East Coast of the U.S., Kellogg’s (@KelloggsUS ) NYC Café teamed with Eat Soccer (@EatSoccerTV), a soccer lifestyle agency, for a Morning Match breakfast experience. The event kicked off on June 15 for the Egypt vs. Uruguay match at 8 a.m., and continues on weekdays through Friday. The store will feature multiple TVs broadcasting the games, as well as what Kellogg’s described as an “immersive kitchen.” The café will open an Instagram-friendly nook with lighting, props and different angles for visitors to snap photos in their soccer jerseys.
Fans can reserve a spot with $20-tickets offering unlimited access to Kellogg’s cereal bar, milk, coffee and tea. The café will have more than 30 ingredients, including rum-roasted bananas and marshmallows, on hand for the event.
Messi’s Mark: Before Saturday’s penalty miss against Iceland, Ooredoo (@ooredoo) and Lionel Messi teamed up for a new campaign. In a series of immersive videos, viewers are shown a playful side of Messi and local social media influencers as they share a series of unexpected moments.
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China Activation: FIFA partner Dalian Wanda (@DalianWanda) released a new short film that tells the story of a group of young Chinese footballers who will be given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in Russia. The film documents a group from Wanda’s “Rising Stars” program who will have the opportunity to step onto the pitch at the World Cup as one of the official World Cup flag bearers. The players carried the official FIFA flag onto the pitch during Spain vs. Portugal on Friday and Belgium vs. Panama on Monday.
Sleeping with Ronaldo: Cristiano Ronaldo was announced as a brand ambassador for SleepScore (@SleepScore). The move comes after SleepScore, which specializes in sleep measurement and improvement, launched a new mobile app, which Ronaldo will help promote.
Picture This: Vivo, the official smartphone sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup has launched its music and photography marketing activations for fans, empowering them to be more than just part of an audience, under its global campaign titled, “My Time, My FIFA World Cup™”, which comprises Vivo’s Super Time project and Vivo Super Fan photographer program. It calls upon fans to make this tournament one to remember, to be truly extraordinary and fully experience, capture and share extraordinary moments around them through their smartphones.
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Cover Image: Ooredoo
