Unilever has launched its largest-ever creator-led marketing campaign for the FIFA World Cup 2026, involving a whopping 50,000 influencers from 120 markets.
The global initiative has the creators generating cross-market, cross-channel content to promote Unilever brands including Rexona (known as Degree in the US), Dove, Dove Men+Care and Axe.
To kick off the operation, Unilever has launched physical ‘House of Fresh’ creator hubs in host cities including Mexico City, Miami, and select World Cup destinations for immediate content creation.
Rexona was the focal brand for the first three days of the house, 13-16 June, with Dove Men+Care on 18 June, and Dove most recently on 21 June.
On the first day of the World Cup, the tournament had generated over 58 billion views on YouTube alone, with brand videos accounting for 7.5 per cent of those views, according to data from social video intelligence platform Tubular Labs.
Axe Mexico had 241 million views by then, while Rexona had 172 million, per Tubular Labs.
According to Unilever, the marketing campaign has been designed to generate content that reaches fans far beyond the stadiums.
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Influencers involved in the marketing campaign include creators in the lifestyle, fashion and beauty space along with fans, players and ‘sports-casters’.
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In a blog post, Afke van de Klashorst, Unilever’s, vice president of integrated brand experience, said the activation “reflects how we’re engaging with sport not just as sponsorship, but as a platform to build brand desire and cultural relevance to drive superior growth”.
“Our ambition is for our brands to show up in spaces where fandom lives and in ways that are authentic, native to social, and meaningful by bringing freshness and confidence to match-day moments that matter most for fans, players and spectators,” he said.
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Meanwhile, FIFA’s chief business officer Romy Gai highlighted the tournament is designed to be “experienced, shaped and shared by fans wherever they are”.
“Football today lives in real time, in culture and on social platforms,” he said.
@zrollin_ Come with me to the House of Fresh Event with FIFA World Cup Sponsors – Rexona and Dove @RexonaID @fivetwonine.global @Dove Beauty & Personal Care @Unilever Store @Degree Deodorant #houseoffresh #itwonteverletyoudown #fifa #worldcup #futbol
To complement House of Fresh’s physical activations, The Locker Room is a 24/7 social media hub where creators, community experts and football strategists can deliver reactive content across platforms like TikTok and YouTube in real time, at the speed of culture.
“Working with partners like Unilever helps turn moments on the pitch into meaningful conversations off it, reaching new generations and making the power of football more accessible, inclusive and impactful than ever before,” Gai added.
