As a Latino Creative Director, I have worked on soccer advertising campaigns where we have authentically and emotionally connected fans with brands. Needless to say, I am a passionate supporter, leading a digital community of over 60,000 fans of my beloved team, and soccer ignites my creative juices.
Now that I live in the United States where soccer hasn't been the most popular sport, and I already see more Inter Miami jerseys on the streets than Miami Heat jerseys, I can say that I am witnessing how the soccer wave is beginning to flood the American mainstream.
Soccer has experienced unprecedented growth in America in recent years. The frenzy unleashed by the arrival of Lionel Messi to the Major League Soccer (MLS), the starring role of the US Women's National Team in the 2023 Women's World Cup, the Copa America 2024, and the excitement surrounding the 2026 North America World Cup will place this country at the heart of global soccer passion.
This phenomenon presents a unique opportunity for American brands to connect with fans and harness the power of storytelling to capture audience attention.
Although soccer has traditionally been overshadowed by sports such as American football, baseball, and basketball, its popularity has steadily grown in recent decades, driven by the growth of the Hispanic population and its influence on the country's culture.
As Latino influence grows, so has soccer’s popularity. “Among Latinos 16 and older, nearly three-quarters (73%) say they are soccer fans”, according to a study commissioned by Telemundo.
The study highlights that “Soccer has an estimated 85 million adult followers in the United States... The 52% increase in followers between 2012 and 2019 contrasts with a 27% increase for basketball and an 8% increase for baseball during this period.”
During my time as a Creative Director and Copywriter at Republica Havas, I had the opportunity to work on a campaign for Telemundo.
Our main objective was to promote the Spanish-language broadcast of the World Cup to a bilingual audience and those primarily English-speaking.
The challenge was that Telemundo couldn't advertise in English as the official Spanish-language channel for the World Cup.
However, this restriction led us to the idea of using cognates – words spelled similarly in both languages. As a bilingual copywriter, it was a fun task.
In a country rich in human diversity, soccer transcends cultural and linguistic barriers, uniting people of different backgrounds around a shared feeling.
Whether we call it "fútbol" or "soccer," this sport goes beyond just a game. It is a universal language that unites people, evokes emotions, and creates unforgettable memories. Soccer is not just about goals and victories on the field but about the excitement, team spirit, and narrative that develops around it.
ความคิดเห็น