As the official personal care brand of the FIFA World Cup 2026, the plans included activating tens of thousands of creators at home, at games and at branded pop-ups across the host countries, ranging from mega-creators like soccer star Trinity Rodman to hyperlocal micro-creators drafted to pump up its brands’ earned media numbers.
Now, at the height of the summer soccer tournament, Digiday has seen firsthand how that plan has played out: Unilever says it has activated 50,000 creators and influencers worldwide, tapped thousands for its House of Fresh-branded pop-ups in New York City, Miami and Mexico City across 10 days and brought top influencers pitch-side to World Cup matches.
Though the company declined to give more details regarding budget and ROI targets, Sarah Potter, influencer and media director for Dove Personal Care, told Digiday Unilever is focused on owning moments before, during, and after the games.
“The ROI isn’t just measured by impressions from creator content during the match. It’s about creating incremental attention, cultural relevance and building long-term equity, while producing content that can be re-used across paid, owned, earned and even retail,” she said.
“This is a Super Bowl every two days,” said Kathryn Fernandez, head of purpose and engagement at Dove.
