Clutch Report: The 2026 World Cup Revealed What Actually Makes Brand Marketing Work

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Clutch today released new research on how consumers engaged with brand marketing during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The survey of 552 U.S. consumers finds that 40% said this year's ads were more memorable than previous years but 46% said no campaign made them want to buy anything.

"Every brand had access to the same captive, emotionally invested audience," said Anna Peck, Clutch analyst. "Adidas built one ownable idea and executed it everywhere. Nike earned sponsorship credit without paying for it. The event didn't decide the winners… the creative did."

Key findings include:

• Adidas swept every measure. 42% recalled the Adidas ad, the highest of any brand, and 33% named it the best overall campaign, more than triple the next competitor.
• Nike won a sponsorship it never bought. 36% incorrectly identified Nike as an official FIFA sponsor, ranking it ahead of actual sponsors including Michelob Ultra (28%), Visa (26%), and Lay's (26%).
• Messi drove attention; LEGO won hearts. 45% said Messi made them pay more attention to a campaign, but LEGO generated the strongest brand lift, with 37% saying its ads improved their perception of the brand.
• Repetition was the biggest turn-off. 58% of consumers who disliked World Cup ads cited repetition, followed by ads feeling forced or inauthentic (42%) and too many celebrities (42%).
• Conversion was generational. 65% of Gen X and 48% of Millennials said World Cup ads drove them to buy or consider buying, compared with just 6% of Boomers.

The full report is available at Clutch.

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