World Cup Ad Battle
This Friday, the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off in South Africa.
As is the case with any major sporting event, the World Cup
is a huge opportunity for marketers with a predicted television
audience of over 1 billion and cumulative ratings for the
month-long event expected to reach 30 billion. That's a lot
of eyeballs.
The matches haven't started, but the ad battle has already begun
between the two brands that are perhaps the most synonymous with
soccer - Nike and Adidas. Both turn up the star power in their
respective World Cup campaigns with Nike featuring soccer
superstars and other sports legends while Adidas goes the
celebrity/pop culture route in a Star Wars homage.
Nike, "Write the Future"
Directed by Alejandro Iñarritu (21 Grams, Babel), Nike's "Write
the Future" spot from Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam shows us what
happens when World Cup star players become national heroes - or
failures. The spot features Christiano Ronaldo (Portugal),
Wayne Rooney (England), Landon Donovan (USA) and Tim Howard (USA)
as well as cameos from Kobe Bryant, Roger Federer, and Homer
Simpson. The budget was rumored to be in the $24 million
range and so far the video has received over 13 million views since
May 17.
BONUS: Check out the Guy Ritchie-directed "Take It to the Next Level" spot from the 2008
UEFA European Football Championship.
Adidas, "Adidas Originals: Star Wars Cantina 2010"
Supposedly, the celebrities in this Adidas spot from agency Sid
Lee gather at the infamous Mos Eisley Catina to watch the World
Cup. Aside from soccer legends David Beckham and Franz
Beckenbauer, there isn't much footie featured here. But when
you have Han Solo meeting Daft Punk (!) and Snoop Dogg wielding a
lightsaber, you already have a solid spot. With nearly 2.5
million views in less than a week, it probably won't catch up to
Nike's numbers, but it's definitely worth sending to your favorite
sports nerd and Star Wars geek.
BONUS: Watch Adidas' excellent "Jose +10" spots from the 2006 FIFA World
Cup.
Who wins the World Cup ad battle? Let us know in
the comments!
And don't forget, USA vs. England this Saturday at 2:30pm
eastern.