There have been an array of iconic football adverts featuring some of the greatest players to grace the sport over the years.
Megastars of the sport have always been able to attract big brand sponsors, with the likes of Nike and Pepsi regularly getting top players to help push their latest products.
Some of the biggest iconic to ever play the game have been featured in commercials, such as Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Luis Figo, but do they feature in our top 5?
Here are our top 5 most iconic football adverts of all time, ranked in no particular order as they are all fantastic in their own way!
Best Football Ads Ever
5) Ronaldinho Nike Advert Full Video
In 2005 the legendary Brazillian midfielder was featured in a Nike advert which saw him partake in the infamous crossbar challenge, but not all was as it seemed…
What made this advert so iconic was the twist added to the advert, which propelled it to break records. However, it turns out that the video itself was edited.
As confirmed by GOAL, many believed that the stunt was real: “It was initially implied that the video was real, which naturally split opinions. Fans had their own theories and debates were sparked. Given the beauty of Ronaldinho’s football on the pitch, many believed, and perhaps still believe, that he was more than capable of doing it.”
The advert would go on to be the first video that reached a million views on YouTube, and despite the film being somewhat doctored, it still remains a classic.
4) Nike – Cage Match Advert 2002 Full Video
This was a global advertising campaign that went live alongside the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
The advert featured 24 of the best players in football, who would collide in a cage football match refereed by icon Eric Cantona, overlayed with the song ‘A Little Less Conversation’ by Elvis Presley, remixed by JXL.
The fast-paced advert features action shots of goals, tackles and skills, and final moments see the tournament come down to Thierry Henry, Hidetoshi Nakata and Francesco Totti versus Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Roberto Carlos.
With the inclusion of the Elvis song, the players involved and the nod to what would eventually become the FIFA Street culture, this remains one of the best and most iconic football advertisements of all time.
3) Nike – Winner Stays On Advert Full Video
This advert begins with a group of lads having an eleven-a-side game on a field before they say the names of footballers they want to be. This triggers a transition into these footballers and creates a dream match scenario.
The commercial also intertwines a comedic feel into the action with an exchange between one of the lads and Cristiano Ronaldo, where the two talk about acquiring unreleased boots and having fans scream their names.
As the advert progresses, Zlatan Ibrahimovic drops the line “Zlatan thinks Zlatan should take” before hitting Pirlo in the face with the ball. The advert also has a small cameo from NBA legend and Nike athlete Kobe Bryant.
“Winner Stays” would become one of the most viewed online Nike ads and YouTube clips in Nike’s history, with more than 107.8 million views overall, making it one of the best and most iconic football advertisements of all time and for good reason!
2) Pepsi – Medieval Fight Full Video
This unique advert sees Pepsi promote its product through a narrative that sees a group of invaders attack a town to rob it of its treasures. They take and cage all of the Pepsi until David Beckham appears to challenge the invaders.
Beckham is joined by fellow footballers like Roberto Carlos, Francesco Totti, Ronaldinho, Fernando Torres and more. The battle begins between both sides begins as they both try to get control of the football.
The final moment sees Carlos score a freekick past the invaders, unlocking the cage and releasing all the Pepsi, with the final shot panning in on a close-up of Beckham taking a sip from the Pepsi before a fan asks for his signature.
As confirmed by Planet Football, Beckham was on a £2 million-a-year deal at the time, but they were made to “look silly when rival brand Coca-Cola uses the superstar midfielder on its promotional World Cup bottles thanks to a pre-existing deal with the English national side.”
1) Nike – The Mission Advert Full Video
This advert from the year 2000 features some of the top names in football. The likes of Edgar Davids, Francesco Totti and Luis Figo, to name a few.
The advert’s narrative sees the footballers on a top-secret mission to retrieve their football back. One part of the sequence sees Davids retrieve the ball past laser-enabled security and showboat to keep the ball in the air. This triggers the guards to chase the stars out of the building.
Transitions see Figo, Guardiola and more utilise their game to avoid the guards and escape with the ball, and the final part sees Davids and Bierhoff utilise teamwork to defeat the head guard and escape via helicopter.
With the Mission Impossible styling and using megastars to create a narrative for the ad, it’s clear to see why this is one of the best and most iconic football advertisements of all time.
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