5 Unique Sports Marketing Activations from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

You’re a sports marketer in 2025, tasked with breaking through the noise of a global tournament like the FIFA Club World Cup. With 32 teams, 12 U.S. host cities, and free streaming on DAZN reaching fans in over 200 countries, the stakes are sky-high. It is a marketing playground where brands like Budweiser, Hisense, and Coca-Cola won’t play it safe. They will swing big, blending tech, culture, and fan passion to create moments that linger long after the final whistle.  

From immersive tech to culturally resonant storytelling, the 2025 Club World Cup will become a marketing lab for brands bold enough to experiment. Here are five unique activations that every marketer should dissect, along with actionable takeaways to spark your next campaign. 

1. Tiffany & Co.: The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Trophy 

Campaign:

Tiffany & Co. partnered with FIFA to design and unveil the new official trophy for the 32-team Club World Cup. The 24-carat gold-plated trophy, revealed at MetLife Stadium, featured engravings of all 211 FIFA member associations and included text in 13 languages and Braille. The trophy toured the home cities of all 32 participating clubs, connecting with fans worldwide. 

Why It Matters:

Tiffany & Co. elevated the prestige of the newly expanded Club World Cup, symbolizing unity and inclusivity in world football, while showcasing American luxury craftsmanship on a global stage. 

Takeaway:

Imagine an Indian Super League or Pro Kabaddi trophy designed by a leading Indian jeweler, with a nationwide tour and digital content celebrating regional languages and stories. This would create a sense of ownership and pride among Indian fans, making the trophy a true cultural icon. 

2. Louis Vuitton x Real Madrid: The Official Travel and Style Partnership 

The Campaign: 

Louis Vuitton became the exclusive provider of formal wear, luggage, and accessories for Real Madrid’s football and basketball teams, debuting the partnership at the 2025 Club World Cup in the U.S. The collection—featuring suits, shoes, and travel gear—was showcased by stars like Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham. The collaboration highlights excellence, innovation, and legacy, and marks another step in Louis Vuitton’s growing involvement in elite sports 

Why It Matters: 

This partnership merged two of the world’s most iconic brands, blending luxury fashion and football on a global stage. It elevated the image of both Real Madrid and Louis Vuitton, reinforcing their leadership in their respective fields and creating buzz in both fashion and sports media. 

Takeaway:  

Aligning with a globally recognized sports team enables a luxury brand to extend its influence beyond its traditional audience, using style and cultural capital to inspire, energize, and connect with fans worldwide—on and off the pitch. 

3. TikTok x DAZN: Fan Content Hub 

Campaign Overview:

 TikTok and DAZN are launching a global campaign centered around a dedicated FIFA Club World Cup Hub on TikTok. This hub will become the go-to destination for fans to access exclusive DAZN-produced content: behind-the-scenes access, match highlights, creator and athlete takeovers, and real-time fan reactions. Over 100 digital creators worldwide are to be activated to produce snackable, mobile-first content, turning the tournament into a living, social experience for a new generation of football fans 

Why It Matters: 

This activation redefines how global tournaments engage audiences. By leveraging DAZN’s sports rights and TikTok’s creator ecosystem, the campaign responds directly to the insight that 93% of fans want to engage beyond live broadcasts. It empowers creators and fans to become storytellers, making football content participatory, culturally relevant, and always-on. 

Takeaway:

Indian leagues can partner with short-video platforms to launch creator hubs, empowering local influencers and superfans to produce regional content around matches, training sessions, and fan culture. This would deepen engagement, especially with India’s massive mobile-first audience. 

4. Lenovo & Motorola: Real-Time Fan Content  

Campaign Overview: 

Lenovo and Motorola partnered with FIFA as the official technology and smartphone partners for the 2025 Club World Cup. Lenovo equipped FIFA and all 32 teams with advanced AI PCs, tablets, and workstations, while Motorola provided the latest Razr smartphones. These devices powered everything from tournament operations and real-time analytics to exclusive pitch-side content creation. The brands also ran high-impact stadium activations, with Motorola-branded content on LED screens and the “Motorola Super Fan Photographer” program, giving select fans pitch-side access to capture the action with Motorola smartphones.

Why It Matters: 

This activation demonstrates how technology brands can move beyond traditional sponsorship to become integral to the fan-facing experience of a major global tournament. By enabling real-time content creation and immersive fan engagement, Lenovo and Motorola positioned themselves at the heart of football’s digital transformation, making the sport more accessible and interactive for fans worldwide 

Takeaway:

Indian leagues can take a cue by partnering with tech brands not just for sponsorship, but for integrated solutions—empowering teams, streamlining operations, and enabling fans to create and share exclusive content. Programs like “Super Fan Photographer” could be adapted locally, turning passionate Indian fans into digital storytellers and amplifying the league’s reach through authentic, tech-driven engagement.

5. Airbnb x FIFA: Official Alternative Accommodation & Fan Experience Partner 

Campaign: 

Airbnb became the Official Partner for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, offering not just accommodation but also curated “Airbnb Experiences” for fans. These included private training sessions with U.S. legend Tim Howard, matchday experiences with Cobi Jones, and behind-the-scenes analysis with FIFA experts. Fans could book unique local activities and cultural experiences in host cities, making travel and football inseparable for the tournament. 

Why It Matters: 

This partnership redefined the role of a travel platform at a global sports event. Rather than just providing rooms, Airbnb turned itself into a gateway for fans to access football legends, local culture, and immersive, once-in-a-lifetime experiences that extended far beyond the stadium. It also created meaningful economic opportunities for local hosts and communities, and strengthened the connection between football, travel, and cultural discovery. 

Takeaways:

During IPL, I-League, or major tournaments, hospitality brands could offer cricket or football-themed stays, local experiences, and fan journeys—turning every match into a travel and cultural event. This would make Indian sports leagues destinations for both local and international fans. 

What Marketers Can Learn 

• Focus on Storytelling: Craft campaigns that weave data into narratives that resonate emotionally, turning events into shared cultural moments rather than mere ad opportunities.

• Use Multi-Channel Ecosystems: Integrate in-stadium, social, and digital touchpoints to create seamless fan experiences that align with how audiences consume sports today. 

• Align with Consumer Values: Infuse campaigns with purpose—whether sustainability, cultural relevance, or community impact—to build trust and deepen brand connections. 

• Embrace Emerging Tech: Use tools like AR or gamified apps to make fans active participants, enhancing engagement and generating valuable data for future campaigns. 

  
  

From Global Inspiration to Indian Innovation 

These collaborations proved that blending global prestige with local relevance, technology with culture, and fan empowerment with storytelling creates real impact. For Indian sports marketers, these aren’t just case studies—they’re actionable playbooks. Zupotsu helps brands discover, engage, and evaluate the right sports assets and partnerships to bring these kinds of innovative campaigns to life, making it easier than ever to activate bold ideas in the Indian context. 

As the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup unfolded, brands proved that breakthrough marketing was about more than visibility—it was about creating real connections, memorable experiences, and cultural relevance. The most innovative marketers were not just following trends; they were setting them by blending technology, storytelling, and purpose in ways that resonate with today’s fans. These activations hinted at what was possible when brands dreamed big yet stayed grounded. So, what was your next play? Would you craft a campaign that blended tech, culture, and purpose?  

This is where Zupotsu steps in. Zupotsu is a martech platform on a mission to ‘digitize’ sports marketing. Zupotsu enables the discovery, engagement, and evaluation (the ‘DEE’ framework) for every sports and esports marketing asset. Please sign up at www.zupotsu.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Reach out at ‘marketing@zupotsu.com’ for any queries.