Overview
- Nike released the six-minute short 'Rip the Script' on Thursday as the centerpiece of its 2026 World Cup campaign, produced with Wieden+Kennedy and directed by Dan Streit.
- The film pairs current stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Vinícius Júnior with legends such as Ronaldinho and Zlatan Ibrahimović plus entertainers including LeBron James, Kim Kardashian and Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso.
- Nike plans roughly 185 additional short-form films to expand the story across social platforms and has embedded hidden content, including an unreleased track, to drive audience discovery and conversation.
- The creative push is tied to product launches — new federation kits and elite boots such as the Mercurial Vapor 17 and Phantom 6 — and to grassroots programs and live events under Toma El Juego and Toma Live in host cities.
- The campaign is designed to keep Nike highly visible during the tournament despite adidas holding FIFA sponsorship, with the company betting that celebrity storytelling and platformed content will draw casual fans and boost sales.