The World Cup of adverts: How brands are competing to entertain, not simply sell

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. The World Cup of adverts: How brands are competing to entertain, not simply sell26 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GooglePaul GlynnCulture reporterNike/Palace/England/Adidas/Irn-BruClockwise from top left: Wayne Rooney, Kim Kardashian and son Saint West, Susan Boyle and Timothée Chalamet have all featured in adverts in advance of the World CupAlmost six minutes into Nike's frenzied recent football-themed advert, Norwegian superstar striker Erling Haaland finally leaps into life. Having hitherto sat around the film set waiting patiently with his supposed stunt double, US actor Channing Tatum, the Manchester City forward appears as if from nowhere in slow motion - and in final boss mode - to ruin a young player's shot at glory. Rip the Script, as the ad is called, features Haaland alongside fellow goal machines Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo.

But more notably, it also features a sea of stars from other parts of the entertainment galaxy that are adjacent to the beautiful game. They include fictional soccer coach Ted Lasso, Kim Kardashian and her PSG supporting son Saint West, and rappers/football fans Travis Scott, Central Cee and Blackpink's Lisa, as well as basketball icon LeBron James - who is a minority owner in Liverpool FC. James and Ronaldo appear together looking less like sports stars and more like characters from the X-Men or Justice League.

The Details

The cinematic commercial got tongues wagging online last week and capped a crazy run of lengthy, star-studded videos dropping ahead of the Fifa Men's World Cup. It landed soon after Marty Supreme star and Chelsea fan Timothée Chalamet had been seen pulling together a band of "Backyard Legends", aka footballers Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham and Trinity Rodman, in Adidas's five-minute offering. Its free-flowing neighbourhood tournament was also enjoyed by Puerto Rican music star Bad Bunny as well as Lionel Messi and - via the wonders of technology - a regenerated young David Beckham from his playing days.

NikeErling Haaland warming up with his stunt double, actor Channing Tatum (left, in case you can't spot the difference)Elsewhere, a collaboration between Palace Skateboards streetwear, Nike and England brought us former captain Wayne Rooney delivering a patriotic rallying cry from the pages of William Shakespeare's Richard II. And many other brands, including Brahma, Budweiser and Pepsi, have all been creatively vying for the attention of football fans, as have Lays Crisps and Lego. "It's very exciting and fun to start seeing everybody put their pieces on the table," Caleb Jensen, one of Nike's executive creative directors, tells News.

"It does feel like it's a World Cup in itself, just in the world of advertising. "Of course, there have always been World Cup-adjacent adverts - from Diego Maradona starring for Coca-Cola in 1982 to a young Scott Parker doing keepie-uppies for McDonald's in 94 and the Brazil team's memorable airport scenes set to a samba beat in 98.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.