The world has gone World Cup crazy and marketers are trying to cash in.  Now that Spain is out, I can take my attention away from the matches and really appreciate the great ads that have come out in the past few weeks. It was so much fun going through all of these ads and had a hard time narrowing it down to 10. It’s also hard to imagine that any of the players had time to practice with all the commercial shoots they’ve done. I’ve now concluded that sports advertising has gone far beyond the generic ads of the past – a sports star in front of a black backdrop with a voice over naming the qualities of a top athlete and some branding at the end. The length of this new generation of ads range from thirty seconds to over five minutes. We’ve truly entered the content marketing age of telling stories and I love it.

10. Tide: The Jersey Exchange
I haven’t always been impressed with Tide’s efforts to capitalize on buzzworthy events, but this one works. The commercial has a great story and the product is showcased in a way that is significant to that story.

9. Emirates: All Time Greats
In this ad, Emirates shows off the luxury of the airline while having some fun with two of the greatest players of all time – and I must say, both men look smashing. Ronaldo and Pelé hardly have to say a word to have a strong impact.

8. Powerade: Nico’s Story
An inspirational story that truly shows what can be accomplished with passion and determination. It inspires me to look at obstacles in a different way.

7. ESPN: Ian Drake Calls a Date
A fantastic World Cup commercial without an soccer balls or players. While the idea isn’t original, it was executed well and had me smiling the entire time.

6. Nike: The Last Game
A great bit of content marketing – a five minute animated movie highlighting why the risk takers of the world succeed, which fits in perfectly to their “Risk Everything” campaign that has been the focal point of all their commercials this World Cup.

5. ESPN: Global Issues
This ESPN ad has fun playing off the different conversations you will hear during the World Cup. It does a great job of showcasing how the World Cup truly is a global tournament because you can imagine yourself hearing of having any one of those conversations. And by demonstrating how the World Cup will be the buzz, the ad really reinforces the tune-in call to action.

4. Beats by Dre: The Game Before the Game
I loved this ad. It really puts you in the point of view of the athletes while they psych themselves up for a big match. I can picture myself at the gym when I use a great song to push myself through a workout. The ad makes the product the centre of focus and highlights the key benefits. However, there were some misses in there. I thought the phone call at the beginning was a little out of place. Also, some of the cutaways weren’t the greatest choices – like the woman having sex, the woman getting dressed and the feet slipping into a pair of clogs. The spot was so good that it didn’t have to resort to objectifying women or using outdated stereotypes.

3. McDonalds: Gol!
This is a fun spot that keeps you entertained from start to finish. The mash-up of trick shots is reflective of one of the most successful types of viral videos – do something really cool and people will share. I was really impressed by the woman ready to do some fancy footwork in heels.

2. Adidas: I am brazuca
There is something to be said for high production values. This ad has fantastic camera work, slick editing and some amazing footwork…and the Beatles song doesn’t hurt.

1. Nike: Winner Stays
For the number 1 spot, I am going results-based. So far the spot has over 80 million views on YouTube. I believe the reason it’s been getting so much attention is because the ad is aspirational – it captures what it’s like to be a kid dreaming of being at the World Cup.

Bonus

Google has done a great job with its Doodles this last week, even changing it up multiple times a day depending on what match is on. It makes me excited to see what they come up with next!