The Best Commercials of World Cup 2018

After a month-long battle between 32 of the world's best soccer nations, the stage is set for the showdown between France and Croatia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final.

With over 1 billion people expected to view the final match this Sunday, the World Cup dwarfs even the Super Bowl as the most-watched event in the world. Along with all those eyeballs will come plenty of dollar signs for advertisers and agencies across the globe who are keen to capitalize on the 3.4 billion viewers tuning in over the course of the 4-week tournament.

Here are 10 of the best commercials from this year's World Cup — featuring soccer superstars, dry European humor, and an astonishing lack of 'Puppy Monkey Baby'.

#10 – Jump On the Wagen (Volkswagen)

In case you hadn't heard (which, to be honest, could apply to the majority of Americans), the U.S. did not qualify for the World Cup this year — and advertisers were happy to remind us of this blunder with every chance they had. While Volkswagen encouraged Americans to hop on the bandwagon with these spots by Palm Havas, even genetic-research firm 23andMe jumped in on the action with their 'Root for your Roots' campaign by Wieden + Kennedy.

Don't worry America, we'll get 'em in 2022.

#9 – Longest Goal Celebration Ever (GEICO)

For the first 15 seconds, this GEICO spot by The Martin Agency looks like it could be from any Premier League highlight reel. Keep watching and you'll witness as a man slides his way into World Cup advertising glory.

#8 – Together with Iceland (Coca-Cola)

Ever since they stunned the world with a strong performance in the 2016 European Championship, Iceland has become a crowd favorite with millions of fans eager to jump on their bandwagon. Among them, Coca-Cola.

While the Nordic, elf-loving country wasn't able to advance to the knock-out stage in this year's World Cup, their iconic thunder clap will continue to have a special place in all of our hearts.

#7 – Paint the World Blue (Pepsi)

At this year's World Cup, Lionel Messi was the star of TV commercials – even if the same can't be said about his performance on the field... TBWA\Chiat\Day directs this fun Pepsi ad set to the upbeat "Light it Up" by Major Lazer.

#6 – Everything Changes (Gatorade)

Back-to-back Messi ads, both by creative agency TBWA\Chiat\Day –– sounds like a great combination. While we never saw them go head-to-head in this year's World Cup, Messi and Suárez are a great pair of teammates-turned-rivals in this ad for Gatorade.

#5 – The World Cup Is Here (Bud Light)

For better or worse, it seems that "Dilly Dilly" just won't die. In many ways the king's language barrier in this Bud Light spot by Wieden + Kennedy is a perfect metaphor for the millions of Americans who hop on the soccer bandwagon every four years without much knowledge of the sport itself (*cough* me *cough*) — we might not understand everything that's going on at first, but we pick up on enough to know it's pretty awesome.

#4 – Lo Vivimos Juntos (Telemundo)

"When we have hope together, nothing can stop us" declares this spot by Telemundo, promoting the new broadcast deal between the network and FIFA. The commercial combines two of my favorite things — great cinematography and the Spanish language — to tell a story that inspires and unites Telemundo's Hispanic audience regardless of whether they root for the Ticos, Cafeteros, or Brazil's Seleção.

Here's to hoping we'll actually see a Latin American team make it past the quarter-finals in 2022, preferably El Tri...

#3 – Create the Answer (Adidas)

While Nike's "Just Do It" mantra inspires us to dig deep and push through boundaries, Adidas continues to profess that performance means nothing if you don't have the style to go with it. Pogba, Chicharito, Suárez, Messi, and plenty more soccer superstars join forces with a wide cast of athletes and celebrities in this lively (and imaginably costly $$$) production by 72andSunny.

#2 – Make a Meal of it (KFC South Africa)

While theatrics and feigned-injuries are a cornerstone of soccer, this scene above plays out eerily similar to the playing style of Brazil's Neymar, in spite of the fact that the ad was released nearly two weeks prior to his infamous roll. Well done KFC South Africa, you successfully predicted the future.

#1 – Light Up the FIFA World Cup (Budweiser)

Like a scene straight out of a live-action rendition of WALL-E, a beer brand known for calling itself 'America' launches into the world's most popular sporting event in this creative ad by Anomaly New York.

A fleet of beer-delivering robots, huh? Throw in a U.S. National Team capable of making the World Cup, and there's a future I can get behind.

Post originally published on LinkedIn.