WORLD CUP 2026: DON’T GET LEFT ON THE BENCH

The World Cup is coming to North America this summer. Beginning June 11, the world’s finest soccer players (or footballers if you prefer) along with legions of international supporters, will descend upon cities across Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The World Cup is one of those rare cultural moments that cuts across everything—geography, language, and yes, consumer categories. For fashion and beauty brands in particular, it is a gift: color, emotion, national pride, and global attention. The temptation to lean in is obvious.

But this is not just a sporting event. The World Cup is also a closely controlled commercial production. Unless you are an official sponsor, you cannot try to look like one—and that line matters more than most brands expect. Though perhaps not as tightly regulated or as rigidly enforced as the Olympics or the Super Bowl, FIFA and its partners invest heavily in protecting the event’s exclusivity. (See, for example, the kerfuffle around debranding Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.) Names, logos, slogans, mascots, and certain combinations of words are protected through a dense web of intellectual property rights. That leaves brands navigating a familiar tension: how to participate in the moment without implying an affiliation that doesn’t exist.

Below, are a few practical guardrails as we head into the summer’s premier world event.

The Don’ts

❎ Do not use official team or event marks, or anything that gets close. This includes obvious assets (logos, trophies, official branding), but also lookalike designs, stylized references, and even hashtags that incorporate protected terms. 

❎ Do not suggest a relationship that does not exist. Language like “official,” “partner,” or even campaign copy that strongly implies a connection to the tournament can create risk—even if technically accurate in some broader sense.

❎ Do not build promotions around tickets or access. Ticket giveaways, sweepstakes, and contests tied to the event are a classic pressure point and are often expressly restricted or prohibited without authorization.

❎ Do not rely on ‘wink and nod’ marketing. The idea that you can evoke the World Cup without naming it—but still clearly signal affiliation—is exactly what enforcement efforts are designed to catch. 

The Dos

✅ Do lean into the cultural moment, not the marks. There is plenty of room to build around themes of global competition, summer travel, national pride, and watch-party culture without referencing the event itself.

✅ Do make the consumer the center of the story. The strongest campaigns tend to focus on how customers experience the moment—what they wear, where they gather, how they celebrate—rather than the underlying event IP.

✅ Do pressure-test your creative early. That color palette, number set, or campaign slogan may feel generic internally, but it is worth stepping back and asking how it will be perceived in-market.

✅ Do get alignment across partners. Agencies, influencers, and retail collaborators are often where risk creeps in. Clear guidance on what is in-bounds (and what is not) can save a lot of cleanups later.

The takeaway is straightforward. You can participate in the energy of the World Cup, but you cannot appropriate its identity. Brands that understand that distinction tend to produce work that is not only compliant, but more distinctive for it.

Are you wondering whether your World Cup-adjacent advertising is ready for the big stage?

WE CAN HELP.

If you have questions, reach out to Nick@henriespllc.com