Nike started the 2014 World Cup with the most teams (10) of any brand. Despite its spend, the Nike swoosh will not be prominently displayed on the jerseys of either Argentina or Germany, the two nations competing in the World Cup Final. Both federationsare sponsored by Adidas.
Yet, Nike’s “risk everything” campaign was never only about sponsoring enough teams to give the brand a fair shot of gaining exposure in the final match of the World Cup. It was certainly a goal of the brand, which posted a 21% increase in soccer revenue for the year June 1- May 31 preceding the tournament. However, Nike’s position going into the World Cup Final is that it sells to wholesale customers on a “futures” basis, thus the outcome of the tournament has no bearing on its revenues around the world, which are up handsomely.
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