5 Lessons From the World Cup’s Best Marketing Plays—and Those That Missed the Mark

Brahma Beer’s World Cup ad exuded the sheer joy of Brazil, as well as its cultural pride in football and the attendant skepticism about it, while keeping the product central to the storyline. Nike, conversely, could have been any brand’s sports marketing. 

Lesson No. 4: Could you swap your product for a rival’s without changing the ad? If so, that’s a prop, not a winning proposition.

5.  Don’t broadcast, have a conversation

So many brands missed an opportunity to create the two-way dialogue crucial to reaching Gen Z and Millennials.

Packaging—the most underrated medium in brand-building—had a great highlight in Café Bustelo’s “Game Face” campaign. The brand shipped more than one million cans, designed by hyper-local artists across Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia, with temporary face-tattoo kits. The tattoos went viral, as people used them to promote their flag, their country, their teams, themselves, and the product—in one fell swoop. 

Lesson No. 5: When trying to reach younger audiences, don’t broadcast your message; make it a conversation they can be a part of.