Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or just really, really don’t care about sports), you’ve probably seen the World Cup dominating headlines and social feeds over the past few weeks.
While the action on the pitch has been entertaining enough, some of the most interesting moments have happened off it.
Out of Sight, Top of Mind
FIFA’s sponsorship rules unintentionally led to some viral marketing moments for multiple brands.
The organization required stadiums to remove branding from companies that aren’t sponsors. In many cases, this involved actual stadium names — and FIFA wasn’t making exceptions. Levi’s Stadium became San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. SoFi Stadium became Los Angeles Stadium. Gillette Stadium became Boston Stadium. MetLife Stadium became New York–New Jersey Stadium.
Along with the renaming, all signage had to be covered up. Levi’s leaned into this in a fun way online, posting a video of the covered-up sign — through which you can still clearly see the company name and shape of the logo — with the popular “nobody’s gonna know” TikTok sound.
The company didn’t stop there. It also changed its social media profile pictures to the covered-up logo, covered logos in stores around the world, and shared a video of the signature jean tag being sewn over with a blank one.
Levi’s isn’t the only company that got creative. Heinz announced its own limited-edition “Unofficial Stadium Ketchup” with its logo blocked out in response to its logo being covered on ketchup dispensers at stadiums.
The Logo Isn’t the Brand
Ironically, covering up these brands made them even more memorable. Neither of these companies paid to sponsor the World Cup, but their brand became a part of the World Cup conversation nonetheless.
Both of these companies have such strong brand recognition that people know it’s the Levi’s logo from its shape alone, or Heinz ketchup from the graphic design of its packaging, even without seeing the company name.
That kind of recognition doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of years of consistent branding, messaging, and marketing. Both companies have spent decades building a brand identity that people immediately associate with their products.
That’s what made these World Cup campaigns so effective. The covered logos weren’t the story on their own. They worked because audiences already knew what was underneath. People were in on the joke. If these same tactics had come from an unknown company, they likely wouldn’t have generated nearly as much attention.
Visibility You Can’t Buy
The same principle applies to B2B PR. The goal isn’t simply to earn one headline — it’s to build enough credibility and recognition that every future announcement carries more weight.
Earned media helps build the kind of brand recognition that allows companies to capitalize on unexpected moments like this. Every earned media placement, executive interview, contributed article, and piece of original research builds on the last, making it easier for customers, journalists, and industry analysts to recognize your company over time.
That’s why the best PR programs aren’t built around one big announcement. They’re built around consistently showing up with something valuable to say.
For all the money spent on World Cup sponsorships, some of the brands generating the most conversation never appeared on the official sponsor list. That’s the power of a recognizable brand, and the kind of attention you can’t buy.
Creativity Is a Competitive Advantage
Of course, not every company has the brand recognition of Levi’s or Heinz. But that’s exactly why creativity matters.
The best PR opportunities don’t always come from the biggest budgets. They come from paying attention to what’s happening around you, thinking differently about how your company fits into the conversation, and being willing to experiment.
Levi’s and Heinz didn’t enter the World Cup expecting to execute these marketing campaigns, but they saw an opportunity and moved quickly.
That’s a lesson companies of any size can apply. While you may not have decades of brand equity behind you, you can be more agile than larger competitors. Whether it’s offering expert commentary, publishing original research, or finding a fresh angle on a trending conversation, a little creativity and good timing can go a long way toward earning attention.
If you’re looking for a partner to bring creative ideas to your PR strategy, let’s talk.
