By Cecilia Lowe (@cecilialowe)
The 2014 FIFA World Cup kicked off last week in beautiful Rio de Janeiro and I cannot wait to catch up on some awesome football action! I was in Brazil two summers ago and got to witness first hand the passion Brazilians have for their national sport. Watching football in a pub in Brazil, surrounded by screaming and jumping football fanatics was truly an unforgettable experience. Their passion and energy was so infectious that I’ve become a lifelong fan (that’s saying a lot!)
The passion that people have for football is part of the reason why FIFA commercials are always so exciting to watch. The ability to capture that deep-rooted passion and excitement in advertising is the true test of success.
Here are a few of my favourite 2014 FIFA World Cup commercials:
This is one of the several (unrelated) spots from McDonald’s and by far, the best. The spot has no cameos from celebrated football stars but instead, does such a superb job of showcasing the sport and the people who love it.
This one is from Beats by Dre. Titled “The Game Before the Game,” it is dramatic and features an epic soundtrack from X Ambassadors & Jamie N Commons called “Jungle”. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it also features Neymar, Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Bastian Schweinsteiger along with Nicki Minaj, Lebron James and Serena Williams (thought I spied Lil Jon as well). I loved that the story was the focus and the stars were just added touch.
Here is a fun one from TAM, a Brazilian airline that pokes fun at football rivalries between countries. Titled “We Bring Them Home,” we see Thiago Silva, David Luiz and Marcelo da Silva Junior encounter many obstacles as they try to get home to play for Brazil. Fun and harmless!
Coca-Cola has been so consistent in their messaging — here is another beautifully executed spot about bringing people together. To celebrate the wide appeal of the game, Coca-Cola invited young men and women from cities and communities from around the world to Rio de Janeiro to attend the World Cup. Beautiful — and I hope the stories are true!
Another fun rivalry one — this time from Visa! It features Nobel Prize winners that are united by their passion for the sport and their love for their prospective teams and countries!
Visa also has another set of 32 videos — one for each of the participating teams that depict football means in each of those countries and how the fans celebrate. An interesting way to appeal to fans around the world in targeted videos. See all the videos on the Visa channel here listed under the The Samba of the World playlist.
So, what’s not on my list? Nike’s animated commercials (strange), Kia’s Adriana Lima commercial (perhaps I’m not the right target audience??) and Pepsi’s Now is What You Make It (blatant product placement).
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Cecilia Lowe is a marketing strategist with Hep Communications in Winnipeg. Visit her marketing blog at mymarketingdiary.wordpress.com.
