Sporting events: a playground for brands

When the emotion of sport inspires brand activation

The World Cup, Roland-Garros, Formula 1® or running events: sporting events offer brands a real playground. They bring people together, stir emotions and create valuable opportunities to connect with consumers.

Their appeal extends well beyond sports fans, allowing brands to reach diverse audiences. Through sports-led brand activation, brands bring the excitement of competition into consumers’ everyday lives. In shops, at airports or at event venues, these activations take many forms: shop-in-shops, merchandising, sampling, influencer marketing or interactive experiences.

For brands, the challenge is to turn the emotion of sport into engagement and, ultimately, purchase opportunities. These activations combine meaningful audience connections, product discovery and commercial performance. Here is a look at several sports-led activations that showcase this potential.

Coca-Cola brings the World Cup in-store

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Coca-Cola brings the world of football directly into shops. Through an activation with the French Football Federation (FFF), the brand transforms the retail space into a true playground.

The shop-in-shop immerses shoppers in the world of French football while showcasing the Coca-Cola and Powerade ranges. A promotional campaign also gives them the chance to win exclusive French national team prizes.

Through this sports-led brand activation, Coca-Cola brings the emotion of football into the shopper journey, combining immersion, visibility and engagement.

KitKat brings Formula 1® to travel retail

In airports, brands need to be particularly creative to capture travellers’ attention. KitKat harnesses the appeal of Formula 1® to create an experience that goes beyond the traditional duty-free offering.

The activation is built around a complete shopper journey. A Formula 1® simulator first draws visitors in, immersing them in the brand’s world. Personalised products, collector’s editions and exclusive gifts then extend the experience.

This sports-led activation combines visibility, interaction and incentives to purchase. It also demonstrates how sport can enhance the experience offered to travellers.

Schweppes transforms the retail space into a tennis court

During Roland-Garros, Schweppes brings its tournament partnership into stores. The brand recreates the world of tennis through a shop-in-shop dedicated to product discovery and sampling.

Shoppers can discover and taste the products in-store while enjoying a tennis-inspired virtual reality experience. A promotional offer further complements the experience.

The activation turns a major sporting occasion into an opportunity to connect with consumers. For Schweppes, this sports-led brand activation brings the partnership to life beyond the tennis courts.

Samsung puts merchandising centre stage ahead of the big matches

Major sporting events are key moments for the television market. Ahead of international football tournaments, Samsung boosts the visibility of its TV range in-store through merchandising.

Dedicated displays showcase the products and create a more engaging shopper journey. In-store execution helps highlight the range when interest in the big matches is at its peak.

More than a product showcase, this sports-led brand activation turns merchandising into a driver of sales performance.

Advance and Ultima combine live experiences with influencer marketing

Sport is not the only territory brands can explore. Through their partnership with the Relais de la SPA, Advance and Ultima bring together live experiences and digital amplification to share their message.

The activation brings both brands’ commitment to life on the ground. Content created around the event then extends its reach across social media.

This combination helps engage communities beyond the event itself. It also reflects an evolution in brand activation: the experience now continues long after visitors leave.

Powerade turns the London 10K into a brand experience

In London, Powerade brings its “Pause is Power” campaign to the London 10K. Inspired by Simone Biles’ message about the importance of mental health in sport, the activation encourages participants to take a moment for themselves.

Throughout the event, runners can enjoy a range of activities. Product sampling, MC appearances, a challenge to win a smartwatch and interactive experiences bring the day to life.

Supporters are also part of the experience. They can create personalised signs to cheer on their loved ones along the route. Powerade goes beyond sampling with this sports-led brand activation, bringing together performance, wellbeing and team spirit.