World Cup ads: Key watchouts to help you score

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup fast approaching (11^th June!), brands are sharpening their creative ideas for the surge of TV campaigns that will dominate screens during the tournament. In 2022, a whopping 51.2 million people in the UK watched the World Cup on linear TV, plus a whole heap more on streaming platforms. With so much audience attention concentrated in one cultural moment, it’s a huge opportunity for brands.

But it’s also when particular rules – think youth appeal, alcohol, partnerships and retail offers – need extra attention. We break down the key info you should keep in mind while making your World Cup ads, to avoid scoring an own goal.

Plus, we remind you how getting Clearcast involved early – particularly with our Copy Development service – can help to get your ads match-ready, keeping ideas compliant and your campaigns moving without delay. Now that’s something worth cheering for.

1. Stereotypes

• Gender: Avoid reinforcing stereotypical behaviours or ideas linked to a particular gender. For example, it could be deemed offensive or harmful to show a man watching football, while in contrast, a woman cleans up – putting you in breach of 4.14 of the BCAP code. To help, there’s some extra guidance from CAP on this rule.

2. Privacy

• Famous faces: To tap into the cultural zeitgeist, you might be tempted to playfully depict well-known figures, such a political leaders, for example. But be careful when caricaturing anyone real, as living people can’t be featured, caricatured or referred to without their permission.

3. Branding

• Partnerships: Although it may be common to refer to the World Cup on screen, be extra careful not to imply that your brand is an official event partner. Check the rules around using any FIFA World Cup logos or branding and ensure that you have all the correct permissions.

4. Deals

• Pricing: With so many eyes on screen, it’s a great time to feature a brand-new retail offer. So, make sure your pricing’s on the ball – ensuring any reductions are truthful and accurate.
• End date: Make it clear when a sale ends by including the end date in the ad, if it’s on air within 2 weeks of it. If there isn’t a set end date and instead it will last until products are gone, then you’ll need to add a super “while stocks last”, or similar.
• Retail substantiation form: We’ve handily summarised everything we need on our Retail Substantiation Form. This should be filled out by the advertiser and – top tip – if you get them to fill it out ahead of time and upload it with your initial script, you’re less likely to go into extra time.
• TVs: If you’re advertising a TV then make sure to include the ‘energy rating’ in your superimposed text or ‘supers’. (We can help with your supers if needed – just email help@clearcast.co.uk and ask for Edit to Clear.)

5. Fan behaviour

• Anti-social: Don’t get a red card by showing any unacceptable fan behaviour, as ads mustn’t condone or encourage violence, crime, disorder or anti-social behaviour.
• Flares: Look out for lit flares as you can’t show them inside stadiums.

6. Drinking

These rules don’t exclusively apply to ads which are promoting alcohol products, but to any and all ads which feature alcohol within them.

• Excessive: Watch for depictions of irresponsible drinking such as shots, repeated rounds or heavy drinking montages etc. This also includes implied excessive drinking, meaning hangovers too!
• Transformative: Don’t link alcohol with any kind of transformative effect. There are a number of things to avoid here – found across codes 19.3 to 19.8 – such as implying booze can improve popularity, confidence, social or sexual success, that it can help with problems or mood, or that its linked to aggression or toughness.
• Pitch side: If the ad is centered around the 2026 World Cup then make sure to check whether its legal to drink inside stadiums in the USA, Mexico and Canada. Showing alcohol in locations where its consumption is illegal or prohibited is very unlikely to be acceptable.

This blog goes into more detail about alcohol rules. Its an oldie but a goodie, and still very relevant today.

7. For gambling or alcohol ads: Youth appeal

• Youth appeal: Ads for these two sectors can’t appeal strongly to people under 18, so take extra care with any references which could appeal to this demographic.
• Players and kits: Be mindful of featuring or referencing football players, managers, teams or kits that might strongly appeal to under‑18s. You can show unknown people playing football and generic imagery is usually fine, but team‑specific mentions could cause problems.
• Celebrities: As well as the players, consider this rule if you’re planning to feature anyone in the public eye, such as TV, film or music stars etc.

It’s always best to get Copy Development involved, or speak to your Clearcast contact, to double check whether the star of your ad may be an issue under this rule.

Score early with Copy Development

With such a huge opportunity on the horizon, you don’t want to get sent off. So, get ahead of the game by bringing in Pete Bellas, who leads Copy Development. Pete will ensure your ads are fully compliant – spotting issues sooner and navigating every nuanced rule – while keeping your creative vision intact, so your strongest ideas make it to air. With a clearance expert in your corner, you can then expect the process to run seamlessly, keeping production timelines on track and ensuring your ad lands on screens exactly as intended.

More help with your ads