Nike has unveiled "Rip the Script," a star-studded short film campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Hypebeast. The film, described by Nike VP Helena Thornton as a "blockbuster," was shot on a studio backlot and features an ensemble of entertainment and athletic talent: LeBron James, Travis Scott, Kim Kardashian, Jason Sudeikis reprising Ted Lasso, Channing Tatum, Young Miko, LISA, Kate Scott, and soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Vini Jr. Legends Eric Cantona, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Didier Drogba, and Jorge Campos also appear. The campaign departs from traditional product-focused advertising to emphasize creative, unscripted football moments, positioning the brand ahead of the World Cup on U.S. soil this summer.
Nike dropped its 2026 World Cup campaign and it's basically a movie. "Rip the Script" shot on a Hollywood studio backlot with Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Vini Jr., LeBron James, Travis Scott, Kim Kardashian, Jason Sudeikis back in full Ted Lasso mode, Channing Tatum, Young Miko, LISA, and legends like Ronaldinho, Zlatan, Cantona, and Drogba. Nike VP Helena Thornton called it a "blockbuster" — the whole thing leans into Hollywood crossover energy rather than just shoving cleats in your face. Dropping right as the World Cup lands on American soil.
Fills an underrepresented money category (7 stories, 6%) with a specific, checkable corporate campaign story backed by two strong primary sources (Hollywood Reporter and Hypebeast) with direct quotes from Nike VP and verified cast list; the story also touches on platform/culture intersections via celebrity and sports crossover relevance.
Nike's decision to frame its World Cup push as a Hollywood production rather than a traditional sports ad signals how the brand is positioning itself for the first U.S.-hosted men's World Cup. The inclusion of entertainment figures like Kim Kardashian and Jason Sudeikis alongside elite footballers reflects a bet that the tournament's American audience is driven as much by celebrity culture as by sport. It also underscores the escalating arms race between Nike and Adidas for World Cup cultural relevance, with campaigns increasingly rivaling film budgets.
Nike treating a shoe ad like a Marvel crossover event tracks — the World Cup is on U.S. soil for the first time in decades and the brand is clearly betting the audience is celebrities-first, football-second. Ronaldinho and Ted Lasso in the same frame is absurd, but that's the whole point. When your campaign budget looks like a studio tentpole, you're not selling cleats anymore, you're selling cultural moments.
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