Official FIFA partner Coca-Cola launched its Qatar 2022 Men’s World Cup campaign on 31 August with a burst of digital spots building brand buzz and pre-tournament excitement around the world running under the title ‘Believing In Magic’.
‘Believing is Magic’ is a manifestation of Coca-Cola’s umbrella ‘Real Magic’ brand platform (which debuted in 2021) through the lens of football and the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the idea revolves around the power of belief. It is led by a series of TV films and online videos spanning multiple markets initially led by a 60-second spot called ‘Street’ which shows how the world is preparing for the tournament and highlights how football fans around the world are preparing to cheer on their teams no matter what the odds.
The lead creative agency on the work is Interpublic’s Mercado McCann (based in Buenos Aires, Argentina) and the campaign, which will appear in more than 200 countries, continues through a series of spots based around keeping promises including ads titled ‘Shave’, ‘Run’ and ‘Tattoo’, plus further films focusing on good luck rituals and traditions such as ‘Bar’ and ‘Family Stadium’ (a pair of spots which link drinking Coke at home and in bars while watching the tournament).
The creative executions are all connected through the #BelievingIsMagic, #RealMagic and #FIFAWorldCup hashtags and all films seek to capture the excitement of the game, the extent of fan devotion for their teams and showcase the outlandish promises many fans would make if their team could win the FIFA World Cup: while simultaneously inviting viewers to share their own promises for possible inclusion in Coca-Cola Men’s 2022 World Cup packaging, digital content or outdoor creative.
Alongside the films, the ‘Believing Is Magic’ campaign also includes the FIFA Men’s World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola which runs through 51 countries and territories and the activation programme will unfold through further phases over the coming months leading up to the tournament which will include retail partner, team and player tie-ups, in-person opportunities, an online hub and match result predictor all with a focus on digital, influencers, fan creativity and supporter engagement.
This tournament marks the fifth consecutive time which Coca-Cola is presenting the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour and sees the brand bring the trophy to all 32 qualifying nations in the lead-up to the tournament – thus providing it with a touchpoint in global markets months before the tournament begins.
The brand has already released a partnership with Panini on exclusive World Cup player stickers that are available both digitally and physically under Coca-Cola labels allows the brand to integrate itself with another element of fandom.
“As fans, we have to believe that anything is possible. The magical dichotomy of Coca-Cola, one of the brands with the longest history and history, but with a young heart, comes to life,” commented Coca-Cola VP of Global Sports and Entertainment Marketing and Partnership Brad Ross. “These last few years have been challenging for major sports events. The Tokyo Olympic Games were postponed due to Covid-19, and the FIFA World Cup was pushed to November to ensure mild temperatures for teams and fans. Giving a region its first opportunity to host a FIFA World Cup is incredibly exciting. I was in South Africa when the first-ever FIFA World Cup was held on the African continent. We’re excited about the opportunity to democratise the sport and take it to all corners of the globe. We also see it as the world’s coming out party after years of lockdown.”
According to Ross, Coca-Cola’s credibility in the football world and its longstanding support of the game’s growth is unmatched.
“We’ll simultaneously build on our longstanding legacy and innovate,” he continued. “This year’s campaign includes several firsts for us, including the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour’s first-ever visit to all 32 qualifying countries, to our first effort to build a digital community of football followers and inviting them to make their own ‘Believing is Magic’ promises — and integrate them into our content – and to predict winners and scores throughout the tournament. This is such an incredible opportunity to bring to life our brand values in an authentic way on a global stage.”
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Coca-Cola has been associated with FIFA since 1974 and its latest activation programme launched almost three months before the first FIFA World Cup hosted in the Middle East starts in Qatar on 20 November.
The tournament has been clouded by controversy since the host country was unveiled with criticisms of the selection process, the weather and timing, as well as worker safety. Indeed, last May Coca-Cola published a statement highlighting that it is working together with FIFA in relation to the safety of workers in Qatar following complaints of exploitation and against human rights in the controversial Coca-Cola headquarters.
This 2022 work follows on from its previous Russia 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup activation programme which included ‘Colours’, ‘Stock Up’, ‘Be Ready’, ‘Swiss Station AR Experience’ and ‘Share A Hug’.
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