The news: The best-performing brands at this World Cup were not always the official sponsors, according to a report by Nectar Social.

Companies like Levi’s, Nike, and Lego generated more earned media value and engagement than Hyundai, McDonald’s, and Coca-Cola, showing that a clever campaign—or viral moment, in Levi’s case—can rival the advantages of sponsorship.

• Content involving the Levi’s brand generated 185 million views and $20 million in earned media value, with an 8.7% engagement rate.
• Despite being the World Cup’s official beverage sponsor—and racking up 250.7 million views on social media content—Coca-Cola matched Levi’s earned media value, while its engagement rate was just 1.3%.

Why it matters: The fact that brands that weren’t official sponsors made notable gains points to the massive attention around the World Cup, heightened this year by its North American venue. Thirty-eight percent of US adults said their interest in the event was driven by the US location, according to The Harris Poll. Preliminary figures indicate that US viewership on Fox for this World Cup doubled against 2022, while Telemundo had record viewership from Spanish-speaking audiences.

But brands’ mixed World Cup performances reflect heightened expectations from consumers, who increasingly require more than a star-studded campaign to pique their interest.

• Nike’s “Rip the Script” campaign, which featured tournament stars like Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland alongside superstars like LeBron James, Travis Scott, and Kim Kardashian, failed to give it the edge over official sponsor adidas, which gained $980 million in earned media value to Nike’s $152 million, per Nectar Social.
• Audiences were considerably more inclined to engage with sponsored posts from creators than celebrity endorsements, with creator partnerships earning median views of 929,000 versus 573,000 for celebrity posts.
• Organic moments—like Levi’s covered-up stadium logo and the French team’s parade of designer bags—generated more social heat than planned campaigns, according to Business of Fashion, suggesting that cultural relevance may be as important as reach.

Implications for brands and retailers: The success of non-World Cup sponsors shows there are myriad ways for companies big and small to tap into marquee sporting events.

Pick a moment. Instead of running campaigns throughout the event, companies should consider focusing their spending on high-impact moments, as Chipotle did with its hydration-break ad spot during the World Cup final.

Invest in in-person activations. Brands that transform sports viewing into a shared, in-person experience—like Stella Artois’ Work From the Bar campaign and adidas’ Home of Soccer fan experience in New York’s Brooklyn Bridge Park—stand to earn more engagement (and dollars) from consumers.

Go beyond the TV screen. Changes in how people consume sports—from the rise of second-screening to Gen Z’s preference for viewing clips and highlights on social media—offer brands more budget-friendly opportunities to capitalize on sporting moments.