Unilever is preparing its biggest-ever sports partnership activation for the FIFA World Cup 2026, with more than 35 personal care brands set to take part in a global creator-led marketing campaign.
The consumer goods giant, which is an official personal care sponsor of the tournament, said brands including Dove, Dove Men+Care, Sure and Lynx would activate around the theme of helping fans stay “fresh for every stage”.
The campaign will focus heavily on social media and influencer activity, with Unilever partnering with creators across sport, fashion, beauty and lifestyle content to engage audiences in its key markets.
As part of the activation, the company will launch ‘House of Fresh’, an in-person creator hub across host cities Mexico City, New York and Miami. The experiential spaces are designed to generate social-first content and boost live engagement around the tournament.
Unilever has also established a new real-time social media operation called ‘The Locker Room, which will operate around the clock during the competition to create and amplify content across platforms including TikTok and YouTube.
The company said the campaign aims to combine the global reach of live sport with social media engagement and creator-driven storytelling, as the tournament is expected to attract an audience of around six billion people worldwide.
Afke van de Klashorst, vice president of integrated brand experience at Unilever Personal Care, said the World Cup represented “one of the biggest cultural moments on the planet”.
“Our ambition is for our brands to show up in spaces where fandom lives and in ways that are authentic, native to social, and meaningful,” she said. “This activation reflects how we’re engaging with sport not just as sponsorship, but as a platform to build brand desire and cultural relevance to drive superior growth.”
Romy Gai, chief business officer at FIFA, said the 2026 tournament would be the “most socially connected and inclusive” in the competition’s history.
He added: “Working with partners like Unilever helps turn moments on the pitch into meaningful conversations off it, reaching new generations and making the power of football more accessible, inclusive and impactful than ever before.”
The activation forms part of Unilever’s broader strategy of using large-scale cultural and sporting events to strengthen brand engagement and drive growth across its personal care portfolio.
A report published last week estimated that UK consumers are set to spend £3.80 billion across the hospitality and retail sectors during this year’s World Cup tournament.