Football and theatre go hand in hand so when the footballers take to TV ads you can end up with some iconic advertisements. We’ve seen down the years that major brands using the current top footballers at the time can pay real dividends. We take a look at some of the best!
Here are our top 10 football adverts! Enjoy.
10. Adidas – Footballitis
This ad by Adidas in the run up to 2002 World Cup has a whole host of players from back in the day acting silly having come down with ‘Footballitis’ – Even the great referee Pierluigi Collina makes an appearance. They don’t make refs like him anymore!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5kCY_SbjXU
9. Nike – The Mission
The well-known ad from the year 2000 features the likes of Edgar Davids, Oliver Bierhoff, Luís Figo, Francesco Totti and Louis van Gaal among others. LVG’s line at the start is pure gold! It’s just a ball!
8. Adidas – All or Nothing
This effort from 2014 World Cup got the pulse racing as well as getting anticipation for the tournament at an all time high. With live action game time and great backdrops, this is up there with high produced TV ads.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjGyQw7_l1c
7.Nikes – Brasil vs Portugal
This was an instant classic. Two teams with Figo and Ronaldo leading the charge end up in an ole’ battle with one another through the course of the stadium, with cameos from Eric Cantona, Phil Scolari and a young Cristiano Ronaldo this is a must watch if you haven’t seen it!
6.Carlsberg – Ireland Win the World Cup
Remember that time Ireland won the World Cup? No, neither do we but this advert by Carlsberg depicts the Irish Nation descend into madness as they make their way to a glorious World Cup win against the Brazilians. In the end it was all a dream.
5.Nike – Winner Stays On
This greatly put together ad starts off as a quiet kick around and quickly turns into a who’s who of World football when the big stars take to the field. The TV ad itself was only a minute or so long but here is the uncut version that is over 4 minutes long. Well worth a watch.
4. Pepsi – Sumo Time
In at number 4, Pepsi with this classic from 2002. David Beckham, Raul, Roberto Carlos, Juan Sebastian Veron, Emmanuel Petit, Rui Costa and Edgar Davids all having a kick about until the sumo wrestlers intrude on their game. They try to outsmart the Sumo wrestlers but find it’s a little harder than they thought.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvt_Ae1eRPo
3. Pepsi – Medieval fight
Beckham, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos and Totti reunited for an epic game in the middle ages. Beckham, this time, sporting his long blonde hair in this one as the players go to battle .A Roberto Carlos free kick unlocking the Pepsi from the bad guys. They don’t make ads like they used to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYWAq0AbU-E
2. Nike – Brazillian at the Airport
What else is the Brazilian team going to do while hanging around an airport?! Ronaldo (the original one) and co get their bag of tricks out with this classic Nike advert; they make their way through the whole airport only for Ronaldo to hit the post! Maybe that’s why he started over eating? Oh and did you spot another Cantona cameo?
1. Nike – Cage Match
Eric Cantona running a secret game of football in a cage, on a boat with some of the most elite footballers in the world! Of course, this was going to be number 1. The advert is iconic and anyone who remembers it from when it originally aired immediately gets thrown back in time with the visuals and awesome soundtrack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaWTm-8h7Aw
*Honourable mention to this Ronaldinho Nike ad where the Brazillian shows his skills in a two-minute video.
Fun fact – This was the FIRST video to reach 1 million views on youtube.
Did we miss any out? Let us know.
