Why This World Cup Belongs to Fans and Creators

Brands wanting to reach audiences in this World Cup would be wise to tune into fandoms and supporter subcultures. We talk to industry experts about how to reach these often elusive groups.

This year’s World Cup feels different for many reasons. It’s taking place across three countries (a first, with games in the US, Canada and Mexico) and it’s the largest ever (48 teams contesting a total of 104 matches). It’s also shaping up to be one of the most controversial, with the Trump administration continuing to create damaging rifts across American society, reportedly putting some supporters off from travelling.

Something else feels a little different. Where previously brand campaigns would be centred around players and celebrities, the latest batch of ads celebrate fan culture. They’re not just highlighting the emotional journey of experiencing and watching a game, but also of how supporter subcultures continue to bring energy and creativity to football’s global reach, most obviously when it comes to kit launches and merchandising. Crammed with boldface names, the recent adidas film may be a notable exception, but it still has the raw expression of cage football as its central focus.

At the Mother-backed Run Deep agency (with clients including Tottenham Hotspur and the Williams Formula 1 team), co-founder and co-CEO Rich Barker predicts that we’re going to see plenty of the usual Boxpark crowd scenes with pints of beer thrown in the air (or heads in hands, depending on how results go), but equally he senses that things are moving on, prompted in large part by independent content creators working away from mainstream, traditional media.

Source: Creative Review