UK dominates System1's World Cup ad study

The study evaluated more than 150 campaigns using responses from 31,500 consumers worldwide

Irn-Bru, Mercado Livre and Volkswagen produced the highest-rated advertising campaigns of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to research from System1. The study evaluated more than 150 campaigns using responses from 31,500 consumers worldwide, with UK advertisers accounting for the largest share of the top-performing ads.

System1 said 34 World Cup campaigns achieved a Star Rating of 4.0 or higher on its Test Your Ad platform, compared with two campaigns during the 2022 Men's FIFA World Cup. The platform measures emotional responses to advertising and assigns a score based on long-term brand-building potential.

UK leads top-performing campaigns

Irn-Bru's The Tartan Army achieved the highest score of 5.9 Stars. Rather than featuring football players, the campaign centred on comedian Paul Black, singer Susan Boyle and Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos to celebrate Scotland's return to the World Cup after 28 years.

Mercado Livre ranked second with O sonho continua vivo, scoring 5.3 Stars, while Volkswagen's O Sonho (The Dream) placed third with 5.2 Stars. Other campaigns in the top 11 included work from Lay's, Lego, Rexona, Vivo, Guinness, BBC, EE and McDonald's.

Emotional storytelling drives effectiveness

The research found that while many leading campaigns featured current or former football stars, brands such as Irn-Bru, Vivo and Guinness achieved strong results without relying on player endorsements, instead focusing on emotional storytelling and distinctive creative approaches.

The UK accounted for 20 of the top 50 campaigns, followed by Brazil with 14. The United States contributed five campaigns, while Argentina had four. Germany, Spain, Mexico, Canada and Australia were also represented in the rankings.

Andrew Tindall, Chief Growth Officer – Advertising, System1: "The World Cup has delivered some of the year's strongest creative from brands across the globe. At the same time, some advertisers deserve a red card for failing to be bold enough with their brand codes.

"The most effective creative entertains, drives an emotional response and is remembered. One of the key lessons from this year's tournament is that, rather than getting lost in a sea of sameness or letting star talent be the only thing that takes centre stage, the leading brands made sure to brand early and embed their distinctive brand assets throughout their creative."

www.system1group.com

Follow Marketing Report on LinkedIn