Adidas’ newest World Cup commercial, “Backyard Legends,” might just be the “best World Cup ad from the Three Stripes in 20 years,” according to Jeff Beer of FAST COMPANY. The five-minute advertising epic opens with actor Timothée Chalamet “trying to put together the greatest street soccer team ever,” starting with NWSL Washington Spirit and USWNT F Trinity Rodman, Real Madrid and England MF Jude Bellingham, and Barcelona and Spain F Lamine Yamal. In the ad, there is a “legendary street soccer crew that hasn’t been beaten since 1996,” and Chalamet is “determined to end their streak.” We get a peek into the “mysterious street ballers’ past, as they upset ’90s stars” including former soccer players David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane. Singer Bad Bunny and Inter Miami and Argentina F Lionel Messi “are there to take in the action” (FAST COMPANY, 5/9).
GONE VIRAL: INC’s Ali Donaldson wrote in the ad there is “no mention of the World Cup or of Adidas, though there are plenty of stylish shots of the brand’s balls, sweatshirts, and Samba sneakers” set against the backdrop of a fictional neighborhood. Since Thursday, the ad has racked up “more than 4.7 million views on TikTok, more than 2.9 million views on YouTube, and more than 56 million views (and more than 2.2 million likes) on Instagram.” While Adidas has long been the “undisputed brand leader” in global soccer, this recent viral “reaffirmed the company’s place at the top of the cultural heap at a time when Nike has continued to struggle with sinking sales, diminished relevance, and a stock price trading near an 11-year low” (INC, 5/11).
