This Year's Top Five World Cup Campaigns

With the FIFA World Cup officially over for another four years, most companies’ reactive campaigns revolving around the football season will begin to fade too.

This year, audiences saw unique campaigns from companies using the global football tournament to leverage its brand visibility, including Febreeze’s ‘Can’t Wash This’ and even Carlsberg bringing back its much loved ‘If Carlsberg did…’ campaign.

Marketing Chief rounds up the Top Five World Cup Campaigns this year which has consisted of creatively unique advertisements and unexpected partnerships.

Carlsberg Rolls Out Football-Themed Campaign

Carlsberg has brought back its long-running ‘If Carlsberg did..’ adverts in time for the FIFA World Cup 2026. 

The company has unveiled ‘Goal Posters’ in areas across the UK to encourage passers-by to pick up a ball and “experience the joy of a kickabout,” during the summer of football. 

"At a time when football can feel increasingly out of reach for many, we wanted to celebrate the part of the game that belongs to everyone,” says Lynsey Woods, Global Brand Director of Carlsberg.

“If Carlsberg did the best of football, more people would be playing it, not just watching it. This is a fun, simple reminder of the joy that made us fall in love with football in the first place: picking up a ball and having a kickabout.”

Unilever Launches its Largest Ever Sports Partnership

Unilever has launched its largest ever sports partnership activation for the FIFA World Cup 2026 as its Official Personal Care Sponsor. 

The global campaign is led by Unilever Personal Care, and will see over 35 brands activate – such as Dove, Dove Men+Care, Rexona/Degree and Axe/Lynx – and is designed to ensure players and spectators alike are “fresh for every stage”.

“The FIFA World Cup 2026 is one of the biggest cultural moments on the planet,” says Afke van de Klashorst, Vice President of Integrated Brand Experience at Unilever Personal Care.

“Our ambition is for our brands to show up in spaces where fandom lives and in ways that are authentic, native to social and meaningful by bringing freshness and confidence to matchday moments that matter most for fans, players and spectators. 

“This activation reflects how we’re engaging with sport not just as sponsorship, but as a platform to build brand desire and cultural relevance to drive superior growth.”

Nike Unveils World Cup Kits Made From Textile Waste

Nike has produced football kits from 100% textile waste for teams competing at the 2026 World Cup. The company has used advanced chemical recycling to create what it describes as performance apparel that meets elite athletic standards.

The process marks a departure from traditional mechanical recycling methods. The kits feature Nike's Aero-FIT technology and will be worn by national teams at the tournament.

Janett Nichol, VP, Apparel & Advanced Digital Creation Studio Innovation at Nike, says: "Nike exists to make athletes better and our breakthrough Aero-FIT technology delivers the future of our industry-defining apparel innovation in both elite performance and sustainability at scale."

Febreze Launches FIFA World Cup 2026 Marketing Campaign

Amid the FIFA World Cup 2026, Febreze has launched a new football-inspired campaign in partnership with Major League Soccer (MLS) and comedian Trevor Noah. 

The ‘Can’t Wash This’ campaign focuses on managing odours in cars, on sofas and at watch parties – with soft surfaces picking up odours as the focus on football grows, without being able to go in the wash.

The campaign includes key partnerships and creator-led content while also bringing the campaign into real MLS clubs.

Hyundai 'School of Football' Campaign to Promote Physical AI

Hyundai Motor Company has announced the launch of its global ‘School of Football’ Campaign, featuring Atlas, Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot. 

Created as part of Hyundai’s wider ‘Next Starts Now’ global platform for the FIFA World Cup 2026, the company says the campaign has been created to use “football as a universal language to explore the future of human-centred robotics through expression, emotion and sport”.

Instead of following traditional product demonstration conventions, Hyundai has taken a narrative-driven approach to the campaign – following Atlas as it “observes human passion and creativity in football,” before learning the sport itself. This is designed to highlight how robotics can evolve to better reflect human curiosity and adaptability. 

“Through ‘School of Football,’ Hyundai Motor is using the universal language of football to showcase the next chapter of robotics in a way that is engaging, intuitive and human-centred,” says Sungwon Jee, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor Company. 

“As excitement builds ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Atlas’ journey reflects our belief that innovation begins with people – their passion, creativity and expression – and that robotics can help expand what is possible for the future.”