The World Cup brought together 48 teams, 104 matches and plenty of brands trying very hard to get noticed. Some added something to the tournament. Others bought a very expensive logo placement and called it an activation.
We’ve picked the ten that did it best: ideas that owned a moment, gave supporters something worth having or found a clever way into the conversation.
From collectible cups and giant LEGO trophies to covered-up logos and, yes, an official armpit sponsorship, these were the brands that made the World Cup work hardest.
Hydration breaks should have been the perfect sponsorship moment for Powerade. Players were hot, players were thirsty and the product was sitting directly in front of them. Every break put Powerade on screen at exactly the right moment, although many supporters hated the interruptions, particularly when broadcasters used them to squeeze in more advertising. Still, all press is good press. Right?
Why it worked
The product relevance was impossible to miss, and Powerade owned a recurring moment throughout the tournament. Even the negative reaction kept the brand firmly in the conversation.
The lesson
Visibility is useful, but the best sports sponsorship activations should improve the fan experience rather than interrupt it. Powerade could have gone one step further by leaning into the boos with reactive content and turning the criticism into part of the campaign.
Google Pixel became part of ITV and STV’s World Cup coverage through a series of short, football-themed idents. Rather than relying on one big advert, Pixel appeared repeatedly as viewers settled in for each match. Football jokes, visual puns and quick product moments connected the phone with the chaos of watching, discussing and sharing the tournament.
Why it worked
Pixel secured a regular moment when viewers were already paying attention, rather than fighting for space inside an increasingly crowded advertising break.
The lesson
The biggest media moment is not always the most effective. Owning a smaller moment consistently can be much more powerful.
McDonald’s turned its drinks cups into World Cup collectibles featuring current players, former legends and, naturally, Grimace. It was not the most technologically advanced activation of the tournament. There was no metaverse, blockchain or immersive fan-engagement platform. They were just good cups, and that simplicity was the point. An everyday purchase became something supporters actively wanted to collect.
Why it worked
McDonald’s used an asset it already owned—millions of customer interactions—and turned its packaging into media, merchandise and a reason to come back.
The lesson
Before creating another fan zone or digital platform, look at the brand assets already sitting in front of you.
adidas could have relied on the fact that it supplied the official match ball and sponsored more teams than anyone else. Instead, it built places where supporters actually wanted to spend time. Across Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Houston and Mexico City, Home of Soccer offered free spaces where fans could watch matches, play five-a-side, customise products and enjoy live music. It felt less like a sponsorship activation and more like football had temporarily moved into the city.
Why it worked
adidas did not ask supporters to come to the brand. It took the brand to where football fans already were and gave them something worth doing when they arrived.
The lesson
The best sponsorships do not only reward the fans who can afford to be inside the stadium. They create experiences that open the tournament up to more people, making the brand feel inclusive rather than exclusive.
Panini did not try to invent a new World Cup behaviour. It took something supporters already loved and made it bigger. Thousands of fans gathered across multiple locations to trade stickers as part of the world’s largest multi-venue sticker swap, supported by giveaways, player appearances, dedicated trading spaces and personalised stickers. In an increasingly digital world, people still really enjoy swapping small pieces of printed paper—particularly when someone has the final defender they need to complete Ecuador.
Why it worked
Panini put an existing fan ritual at the centre of the activation rather than trying to force supporters into adopting a new one.
The lesson
Do not always ask what new behaviour your brand can create. Ask what supporters already love doing and how you can make it bigger, easier or more memorable.
The best activations do not always need giveaways or the biggest sponsorship deal. Sometimes, all you need is a story worth experiencing. Ahead of kick-off, MatchWornShirt opened The MWS Legend Collection in New York, a free three-day pop-up where fans could stand inches away from genuine match-worn shirts belonging to some of football’s greatest players. From Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo to Bastian Schweinsteiger, Gerard Piqué and Javier Hernández, the exhibition celebrated more than 70 years of football history through some of the game’s most meaningful artefacts. Rather than trying to interrupt the World Cup conversation, MatchWornShirt added something valuable to it.
Why it worked
For a brand built around authentic match-worn memorabilia, the activation was perfectly aligned with its product and purpose. It transformed a digital marketplace into a cultural destination, allowing supporters to experience the emotion, history and significance behind the shirts before ever thinking about buying one. It was not a shop or a traditional sponsorship stand. It felt more like a museum.
The lesson
The best brand activations do not always need to promote the product directly. Sometimes, they are more powerful when they celebrate the passion that makes people want the product in the first place.
LEGO built an enormous version of the World Cup Trophy at Rockefeller Plaza using more than a million bricks. Because of course it did. The idea expanded into interactive building experiences, retail products, photo opportunities and special trophy moments connected to the final stages of the tournament. One simple piece of brand logic became a public spectacle, a fan experience, a social asset and something people could take home.
Why it worked
Building the trophy was instantly understandable, completely on-brand and flexible enough to work across physical experiences, content and retail.
The lesson
Do not create a different idea for every channel. Find one strong piece of brand logic and make it stretch.
Bank of America distributed millions of customisable Fan Bands and collectible beads inspired by teams, host cities, landmarks and the World Cup Trophy. The bracelets became one of the tournament’s surprise hits, with supporters queuing for hours to collect specific designs and trade them with other fans. The clever part was not simply the bracelet, but the behaviour built around it. People could personalise their band, hunt for missing beads and create something connected to their own tournament experience. It was merchandise, memory and social currency in one.
Why it worked
The activation gave supporters control over the final product, while collectability and scarcity turned a free branded giveaway into something people genuinely wanted.
The lesson
Do not simply hand fans an object with your logo on it. Give them something they can personalise, complete, collect or exchange.
Because Levi’s was not an official tournament partner, its branding at the San Francisco Bay Area stadium had to be hidden during matches. For most brands, that would have been an expensive inconvenience. Levi’s turned it into the campaign. The brand adopted the covered-up logo across social media and recreated the treatment in stores around the world. Its name was technically hidden, but the shape remained instantly recognisable.
The idea quickly spread. Gillette turned its covered signage into shaving foam, while Heinz launched Unofficial Stadium Ketchup after its bottles were taped over inside venues.
Why it worked
Levi’s turned a restriction into a distinctive creative device, relying on the strength of its visual identity rather than access to official tournament rights.
The lesson
When people can recognise your brand without seeing its full name, even being covered up can become valuable media. More broadly, limitations can produce stronger creative work than unrestricted access. Levi’s did not complain about the rule; it made the rule the story.
The best sponsorship activation of the 2026 World Cup appeared underneath the fourth official’s raised arm. Rexona branding featured on the substitution boards officials lifted above their heads, creating the impression of an armpit sponsorship. Yes, an armpit sponsorship.
The placement was funny, highly visible and perfectly connected to the deodorant category. It also linked neatly to Rexona’s wider promise around performing under pressure, appearing during substitutions, added time and some of the tensest moments in a match. It did not feel like bought media. It felt like a space that had always belonged to a deodorant brand.
Why it worked
The product, placement, brand platform, football moment and visual joke all came together in one deceptively simple idea.
The lesson
The most valuable sponsorship right is not always the largest one. It is the right your brand can turn into something nobody else could credibly own.
The strongest brand work at the 2026 World Cup was not always the loudest. It was the clearest.
Rexona found a media opportunity hiding under an official’s arm. Levi’s turned being covered up into a campaign. Bank of America made people queue for a branded bracelet. MatchWornShirt transformed football memorabilia into a cultural exhibition, while LEGO found one simple idea and stretched it from Rockefeller Plaza into people’s living rooms.
They were all very different activations, but they followed the same basic principle. Each found the sweet spot between something true about the brand, something distinctive about the tournament and something supporters actually wanted to engage with.
That is where the best sports partnership activation lives. It is not about how many logos, hospitality tickets or rights you buy. It is about finding the idea that makes people care.
Rights give brands permission to turn up, but the idea gives people a reason to care.
A sports sponsorship activation agency helps brands make more of the rights they have bought. That might mean shaping the partnership strategy, identifying the most valuable opportunities, developing the central creative idea or bringing it to life through campaigns, content and experiences.
The important part is starting with why the brand belongs in the partnership, rather than jumping straight to where the logo can go.
Anyone can fill a sponsorship inventory. The harder job is creating something supporters would still notice if the logo disappeared.
At LoveGunn, we help brands turn sponsorships and partnerships into ideas people actually remember.
From partnership strategy and rights analysis to campaigns, content and experiences, we help brands move beyond logo placement and become part of the action.
Got a partnership that needs a better idea behind it? Get in touch with Chris at chris@lovegunn.co
Turning up is easy. Being remembered is the useful bit.
The World Cup brought together 48 teams, 104 matches and plenty of brands trying very hard to get noticed. Some added something to the tournament. Others bought a very expensive logo placement and called it an activation.
We’ve picked the ten that did it best: ideas that owned a moment, gave supporters something worth having or found a clever way into the conversation.
From collectible cups and giant LEGO trophies to covered-up logos and, yes, an official armpit sponsorship, these were the brands that made the World Cup work hardest.
Hydration breaks should have been the perfect sponsorship moment for Powerade. Players were hot, players were thirsty and the product was sitting directly in front of them. Every break put Powerade on screen at exactly the right moment, although many supporters hated the interruptions, particularly when broadcasters used them to squeeze in more advertising. Still, all press is good press. Right?
Why it worked
The product relevance was impossible to miss, and Powerade owned a recurring moment throughout the tournament. Even the negative reaction kept the brand firmly in the conversation.
The lesson
Visibility is useful, but the best sports sponsorship activations should improve the fan experience rather than interrupt it. Powerade could have gone one step further by leaning into the boos with reactive content and turning the criticism into part of the campaign.
Google Pixel became part of ITV and STV’s World Cup coverage through a series of short, football-themed idents. Rather than relying on one big advert, Pixel appeared repeatedly as viewers settled in for each match. Football jokes, visual puns and quick product moments connected the phone with the chaos of watching, discussing and sharing the tournament.
Why it worked
Pixel secured a regular moment when viewers were already paying attention, rather than fighting for space inside an increasingly crowded advertising break.
The lesson
The biggest media moment is not always the most effective. Owning a smaller moment consistently can be much more powerful.
McDonald’s turned its drinks cups into World Cup collectibles featuring current players, former legends and, naturally, Grimace. It was not the most technologically advanced activation of the tournament. There was no metaverse, blockchain or immersive fan-engagement platform. They were just good cups, and that simplicity was the point. An everyday purchase became something supporters actively wanted to collect.
Why it worked
McDonald’s used an asset it already owned—millions of customer interactions—and turned its packaging into media, merchandise and a reason to come back.
The lesson
Before creating another fan zone or digital platform, look at the brand assets already sitting in front of you.
adidas could have relied on the fact that it supplied the official match ball and sponsored more teams than anyone else. Instead, it built places where supporters actually wanted to spend time. Across Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Houston and Mexico City, Home of Soccer offered free spaces where fans could watch matches, play five-a-side, customise products and enjoy live music. It felt less like a sponsorship activation and more like football had temporarily moved into the city.
Why it worked
adidas did not ask supporters to come to the brand. It took the brand to where football fans already were and gave them something worth doing when they arrived.
The lesson
The best sponsorships do not only reward the fans who can afford to be inside the stadium. They create experiences that open the tournament up to more people, making the brand feel inclusive rather than exclusive.
Panini did not try to invent a new World Cup behaviour. It took something supporters already loved and made it bigger. Thousands of fans gathered across multiple locations to trade stickers as part of the world’s largest multi-venue sticker swap, supported by giveaways, player appearances, dedicated trading spaces and personalised stickers. In an increasingly digital world, people still really enjoy swapping small pieces of printed paper—particularly when someone has the final defender they need to complete Ecuador.
Why it worked
Panini put an existing fan ritual at the centre of the activation rather than trying to force supporters into adopting a new one.
The lesson
Do not always ask what new behaviour your brand can create. Ask what supporters already love doing and how you can make it bigger, easier or more memorable.
The best activations do not always need giveaways or the biggest sponsorship deal. Sometimes, all you need is a story worth experiencing. Ahead of kick-off, MatchWornShirt opened The MWS Legend Collection in New York, a free three-day pop-up where fans could stand inches away from genuine match-worn shirts belonging to some of football’s greatest players. From Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo to Bastian Schweinsteiger, Gerard Piqué and Javier Hernández, the exhibition celebrated more than 70 years of football history through some of the game’s most meaningful artefacts. Rather than trying to interrupt the World Cup conversation, MatchWornShirt added something valuable to it.
Why it worked
For a brand built around authentic match-worn memorabilia, the activation was perfectly aligned with its product and purpose. It transformed a digital marketplace into a cultural destination, allowing supporters to experience the emotion, history and significance behind the shirts before ever thinking about buying one. It was not a shop or a traditional sponsorship stand. It felt more like a museum.
The lesson
The best brand activations do not always need to promote the product directly. Sometimes, they are more powerful when they celebrate the passion that makes people want the product in the first place.
LEGO built an enormous version of the World Cup Trophy at Rockefeller Plaza using more than a million bricks. Because of course it did. The idea expanded into interactive building experiences, retail products, photo opportunities and special trophy moments connected to the final stages of the tournament. One simple piece of brand logic became a public spectacle, a fan experience, a social asset and something people could take home.
Why it worked
Building the trophy was instantly understandable, completely on-brand and flexible enough to work across physical experiences, content and retail.
The lesson
Do not create a different idea for every channel. Find one strong piece of brand logic and make it stretch.
Bank of America distributed millions of customisable Fan Bands and collectible beads inspired by teams, host cities, landmarks and the World Cup Trophy. The bracelets became one of the tournament’s surprise hits, with supporters queuing for hours to collect specific designs and trade them with other fans. The clever part was not simply the bracelet, but the behaviour built around it. People could personalise their band, hunt for missing beads and create something connected to their own tournament experience. It was merchandise, memory and social currency in one.
Why it worked
The activation gave supporters control over the final product, while collectability and scarcity turned a free branded giveaway into something people genuinely wanted.
The lesson
Do not simply hand fans an object with your logo on it. Give them something they can personalise, complete, collect or exchange.
Because Levi’s was not an official tournament partner, its branding at the San Francisco Bay Area stadium had to be hidden during matches. For most brands, that would have been an expensive inconvenience. Levi’s turned it into the campaign. The brand adopted the covered-up logo across social media and recreated the treatment in stores around the world. Its name was technically hidden, but the shape remained instantly recognisable.
The idea quickly spread. Gillette turned its covered signage into shaving foam, while Heinz launched Unofficial Stadium Ketchup after its bottles were taped over inside venues.
Why it worked
Levi’s turned a restriction into a distinctive creative device, relying on the strength of its visual identity rather than access to official tournament rights.
The lesson
When people can recognise your brand without seeing its full name, even being covered up can become valuable media. More broadly, limitations can produce stronger creative work than unrestricted access. Levi’s did not complain about the rule; it made the rule the story.
The best sponsorship activation of the 2026 World Cup appeared underneath the fourth official’s raised arm. Rexona branding featured on the substitution boards officials lifted above their heads, creating the impression of an armpit sponsorship. Yes, an armpit sponsorship.
The placement was funny, highly visible and perfectly connected to the deodorant category. It also linked neatly to Rexona’s wider promise around performing under pressure, appearing during substitutions, added time and some of the tensest moments in a match. It did not feel like bought media. It felt like a space that had always belonged to a deodorant brand.
Why it worked
The product, placement, brand platform, football moment and visual joke all came together in one deceptively simple idea.
The lesson
The most valuable sponsorship right is not always the largest one. It is the right your brand can turn into something nobody else could credibly own.
The strongest brand work at the 2026 World Cup was not always the loudest. It was the clearest.
Rexona found a media opportunity hiding under an official’s arm. Levi’s turned being covered up into a campaign. Bank of America made people queue for a branded bracelet. MatchWornShirt transformed football memorabilia into a cultural exhibition, while LEGO found one simple idea and stretched it from Rockefeller Plaza into people’s living rooms.
They were all very different activations, but they followed the same basic principle. Each found the sweet spot between something true about the brand, something distinctive about the tournament and something supporters actually wanted to engage with.
That is where the best sports partnership activation lives. It is not about how many logos, hospitality tickets or rights you buy. It is about finding the idea that makes people care.
Rights give brands permission to turn up, but the idea gives people a reason to care.
A sports sponsorship activation agency helps brands make more of the rights they have bought. That might mean shaping the partnership strategy, identifying the most valuable opportunities, developing the central creative idea or bringing it to life through campaigns, content and experiences.
The important part is starting with why the brand belongs in the partnership, rather than jumping straight to where the logo can go.
Anyone can fill a sponsorship inventory. The harder job is creating something supporters would still notice if the logo disappeared.
At LoveGunn, we help brands turn sponsorships and partnerships into ideas people actually remember.
From partnership strategy and rights analysis to campaigns, content and experiences, we help brands move beyond logo placement and become part of the action.
Got a partnership that needs a better idea behind it? Get in touch with Chris at chris@lovegunn.co
Turning up is easy. Being remembered is the useful bit.
