World Cup 2022: Brands and broadcasters harness power of nostalgia
During tumultuous times, there's nothing like a fond look in the rear view mirror to create a positive emotional response from consumers...
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A World Cup taking place in a tiny, mega-rich nation where both homosexuality and drinking alcohol are illegal, migrant workers are denied the same rights as citizens and where fans will be staying in £150 a night shipping container-like cabins because there are not enough hotel rooms…
The upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar is more dystopian than romantic.
While fans are undeniably looking forward to the action on the pitch, many feel a sense of detachment to the wider spectacle in the offing and are, understandably perturbed by the human rights concerns swirling around it if not the prohibitive costs of flying out to Doha and following your team.
For brands activating around the tournament, whether on the inside of the tent as World Cup sponsors, with one foot in the tent (through partnerships with players and national federations) or completely outside it, and looking to simply market their goods and services around a month of football action, this means the focus must shift away from the controversial host nation and towards what we love about this special tournament.
The answer? Good old fashioned nostalgia.
With many people facing soaring energy bills, rising costs and recession, these are challenging times.
The power of sport in offering an escape from the daily grind is an important tool.
Add to this, a sense that we live in a more volatile, unpredictable world following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine plus lingering trauma from the havoc wrought by Covid19, and there is a profound need to help people feel better about the present and the future.
Consequently we are seeing an explosion of nostalgia in popular culture.
For Gen X-ers like myself, Kate Bush at the top of the Spotify charts, Boba Fett streaming on Disney+ and Fantasy Football rebooted on Sky have taken me back to ‘simpler times’.
Football fans have a particular penchant for fond looks in the rear view mirror.
We even feel nostalgic towards specific incarnations of footballers in classic video games.
On any given day, we’re sharing iconic line ups, cult heroes that the ‘streets won’t forget’, gorgeous retro kits and archive footage which transport us to a completely different era.
Take for example this clip, which makes we wonder if Killer by Adamski was created specifically for our enjoyment when watching the best goals from Italia’ 90.
The clubs we support, and, by extension, their sponsors, frequently weaponise nostalgia to sell us first, second and third kits, season tickets and a plethora of other products.
For instance, Carlsberg’s recent campaign to celebrate 30 years of partnering with Liverpool FC, by emblazoning commemorative cans with iconic kit designs, or Adidas reimagining Arsenal’s fondly-recalled ‘bruised Banana kit’ for a recent reboot.
In their latest campaign, Argentina’s official beer partner, Quilmes, have evoked the spirit of 1986, leaning into the fond memories fans have of Diego Maradona’s triumphant team and the hope shared by fans that Lionel Messi’s class of 2022 can bring it home.
Entitled Coincidencias (Coincidences) it shows fans desperately looking to draw parallels with 2022 and 1986.
Whether it is Canada qualifying, Chile missing out, Robert de Niro visiting Argentina in the same years or the fact it rained during the previous Christmas both times, supporters of La Albiceleste are depicted sharing their spooky connections.
Any advert invoking the 1980s isn’t complete without a synth-powered soundtrack, and this comes courtesy of Charly García and Pedro Aznar - two artists who found themselves top of the Argentinian charts in 1986 with their song Hablando a Tu Corazón (Listen To Your Heart), and who also feature in this video.
The TVC even shows a family in Bangladesh sharing a coincidence - a nice touch, given that (since 1986) every four years, Bangladeshi streets become awash with blue and white shirts as the country gets behind Argentina.
It’s one of the great modern quirks of global football fandom, and also explains why the Argentine Football Association have an Indian dairy partner.
Back To Quilmes, whose campaign, which was teased on Twitch by two popular streamers - Coscu and Joaco López - succeeds in putting the enjoyment of their product slap bang at the centre of the fans and their dreams.
It shows the beer being enjoyed in various social settings, immediately connecting the act of supporting Argentina along with enjoying a cold Quilmes, while a limited edition run of cans - each one alluding to one of the coincidences uttered, will help drive sales.
Daniel Edwards, a football writer based in Buenos Aires believes the power of the ad is rooted in its authenticity.
"Nostalgia and superstition are two of the most powerful intoxicants in Argentine football, and Quilmes are harnessing both,” says Edwards.
“The response has been spectacularly positive, mainly because it taps into something many watchers have thought and commented upon themselves, even if only in a joking manner: ‘this means we're bound to lift the trophy!’
He adds: “Argentina’s coach in 1986, Carlos Bilardo was the king of superstition, controlling everything from team meals to the order in which his players sat on the bus in order to ensure the winning formula was never interrupted.
“Such rituals will be replicated across Argentina over the next two months, be it through only watching games with a certain group of friends, accompanied by one specific beverage or food or while wearing a single shirt throughout the campaign. That is why Quilmes' commercial has struck such a chord.”
Quilmes are not the only brand drawing from the well of nostalgia.
World Cup partners Budweiser and Coca-Cola have both utilised and rebooted classic 80s songs for their new campaigns - the former leveraging Tears for Fears’ anthem “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, the latter opting for Queen’s “It’s A Kind Of Magic”.
How about the broadcasters?
For broadcasters in the UK, who usually delve into the host nation’s culture, landmarks and history for their idents, nostalgia is the perfect alternative to going all in on Qatar.
ITV’s line-up announcement prefers to look back - not forward - in building buzz for Qatar 2022. Presenters and pundits are heard sharing their own memories of the tournament and the broadcaster reminds viewers of its own World Cup heritage.
It couldn’t be more different to Qatari broadcaster beIN sport’s line-up announcement, which feels as much about boasting about the country’s economic clout than the heritage of the tournament itself.
Ultimately, there is only one force more powerful than nostalgia in making consumers feeling warm and fuzzy and that’s Christmas.
Nobody does the ‘holiday season’ quite like our friends across the Pond, and Fox TV’s campaign, featuring Mad Men’s John Hamm as Santa and a bunch of celebrity cameos, bundles the World Cup up as something that will make ‘the most wonderful time of the year’, that extra bit special.
Speaking of Christmas…
Perhaps the most bizarre nostalgic development comes from English glam rock legends Slade, who have exhumed their 1978 release called ‘Give Us A Goal’ with a new video and campaign.
The single apparently never charted when first released largely due to England not qualifying for the tournament that year, but that hasn’t stopped Noddy Holder and his mates from insisting that more Slade is exactly what we need as Christmas approaches.
If this becomes the unofficial anthem of England’s World Cup 2022 charge, then nostalgia really is more powerful than we could have ever imagined…
Three things to watch this week…
1.The Socceroos criticise Qatar’s human rights record with this simple, powerful video
2.The CBS Champions League crew are still having more fun than anyone else on TV.
3.A lovely chat between Jimmy Kimmel and Sir Lewis Hamilton.
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