The 2022 World Cup officially kicked off last night, and brands are tackling the tournament with soccer-themed campaigns. Check out all the latest ads in our Weekly Must Reads.

Nike’s Footballverse

To celebrate the start of the international soccer tournament, Nike’s new campaign introduces soccer fans to their “Footballverse.” Their first ad features dozens of Nike-sponsored professional footballers showing off their skills and competing in a metaverse-type environment. By highlighting both new stars, like Kylian Mbappe, and legends, such as Ronaldinho, the ad hopes to honor the impact of each generation of athlete and inspire young players to lead us into the future.

Nike will launch several activations throughout the World Cup, as the brand has been the official apparel partner of the National Team since 1995. Learn more about their tournament strategy here: https://www.adweek.com/creativity/nike-world-cup-ad-unites-soccer-legends/?itm_source=parsely-api

Budweiser’s Team of Influencers

Despite this World Cup’s ban on beer sales, Budweiser is gathering a different group of stars for their tournament campaign. The brand, a longtime sponsor of the tournament, partnered with artist Lil Baby to create a music video for his song “The World Is Yours to Take.” The video features 100 social media influencers and plenty of Budweiser merchandise. Budweiser then flew the influencers to Qatar for the tournament to create content for the brand’s page and discuss their own stories of overcoming adversity.

Budweiser released several other ads in the lead-up to the World Cup, in addition to limited-edition beer cans that feature a QR code consumers could use to enter contests for various soccer-themed experiences. Find out more about the beer sponsor’s campaigns here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/budweiser-100-influencers-world-cup-qatar-alcohol-marketing/636810/

Manning & Beckham Argue Soccer & Football

For their World Cup effort, Frito-Lay is exploring an ongoing debate: is the sport called “soccer” or “football”? Their new spot features NFL star Peyton Manning and former World Cup player David Beckham arguing about the difference between the words. We also see guest appearances from other soccer (football?) stars, including Mia Hamm and Tim Howard, and plenty of Frito-Lay’s snack brands.

Frito-Lay also announced an Instagram Story challenge that will take place during USA’s game on Nov. 29. If a referee uses a yellow or red card during the match, Instagram users who follow Lays and Dorito will have a chance to win bag of chips via links in the brands’ Stories. Dive into more campaign details here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/frito-lay-world-cup-marketing-Beckham-Manning/636564/

Apple TV+ Lassos New Billboard Ads

Apple TV+ is getting in on the World Cup hype, too, courtesy of their most popular show’s protagonist. Over the last couple weeks, the streaming service has put up billboards and newspaper ads that depict hand-written notes addressed to National Team players from Ted Lasso himself. The personalized messages are written in Lasso’s signature earnest, optimistic voice, and have been posted in each player’s hometown.

The campaign a strategic move from Apple TV+. It ties their original content into a larger international event in a way that still feels genuine and relevant. The billboards have received positive reactions on social media from the National Team players themselves and fans alike. Check out a few of the messages for yourself here: https://adage.com/creativity/work/ted-lasso-cheering-us-mens-national-soccer-team-billboards/2451876