The World Cup of adverts: How brands are competing to entertain, not simply sell

The World Cup of adverts: How brands are competing to entertain, not simply sellJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GooglePaul GlynnCulture reporterNike/Palace/England/Adidas/Irn-BruClockwise from top left: Wayne Rooney, Kim Kardashian and son Saint West, Susan Boyle and Timothée Chalamet have all featured in adverts in advance of the World CupAlmost six minutes into Nike's frenzied recent football-themed advert, Norwegian superstar striker Erling Haaland finally leaps into life.Having hitherto sat around the film set waiting patiently with his supposed stunt double, US actor Channing Tatum, the Manchester City forward appears as if from nowhere in slow motion - and in final boss mode - to ruin a young player's shot at glory.Rip the Script, as the ad is called, features Haaland alongside fellow goal machines Kylian Mbappe and Cristiano Ronaldo.But more notably, it also features a sea of stars from other parts of the entertainment galaxy that are adjacent to the beautiful game.They include fictional soccer coach Ted Lasso, Kim Kardashian and her PSG supporting son Saint West, and rappers/football fans Travis Scott, Central Cee and Blackpink's Lisa, as well as basketball icon LeBron James - who is a minority owner in Liverpool FC.James and Ronaldo appear together looking less like sports stars and more like characters from the X-Men or Justice League.The cinematic commercial got tongues wagging online last week and capped a crazy run of lengthy, star-studded videos dropping ahead of the Fifa Men's World Cup.It landed soon after Marty Supreme star and Chelsea fan Timothée Chalamet had been seen pulling together a band of "Backyard Legends", aka footballers Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham and Trinity Rodman, in Adidas's five-minute offering.Its free-flowing neighbourhood tournament was also enjoyed by Puerto Rican music star Bad Bunny as well as Lionel Messi and - via the wonders of technology - a regenerated young David Beckham from hi...