NIKE AND ADIDAS SPEND TENS OF MILLIONS ON WORLD CUP ADVERTS

Nike and Adidas have invested heavily in World Cup marketing campaigns featuring prominent footballers and athletes. Nike's "Rip the Script" advertisement includes Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo and LeBron James. Adidas's "Backyard Legends" campaign features Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham, Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane, alongside an artificial intelligence recreation of David Beckham. According to reports, Adidas spent £50m producing its advertisement, though neither company has publicly disclosed exact expenditure figures.

Both brands have expanded their marketing approach beyond traditional advertising formats. Camilo Andrade, vice-president and general manager of Nike Global Football, stated that digital culture moves at greater speed than in previous years, requiring campaigns that extend beyond single films. Nike's strategy aims to create a "football universe" that operates across digital and real-world spaces, allowing fans, players and creators to reinterpret and develop the content further. Adidas has similarly invested in high-production-value content comparable to major film releases.

By YouTube view counts at the time of reporting, Nike's campaign had accumulated 76 million views whilst Adidas's advertisement had reached approximately seven million. Nike's leadership indicated that success would be measured not solely by viewership figures but by how extensively audiences engaged with and redistributed the campaign across platforms. Both companies continue long-standing associations with World Cup marketing, with Adidas maintaining connections to the tournament since 1970.