How Rexona built desire at scale at FIFA World Cup 2026™
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As an Official Personal Care Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026™Rexona didn't just sponsor the event it used the tournament's highest-pressure moments to bring its promise, "It Won't Ever Let You Down," to life in ways football fans instantly understood.
From logo placement beneath the armpit of every Fourth Official's shirt and on viral substitution boards, to the Rexona Sweat Club at Unilever's House of Fresh™ in New York, where creators accessed football legends and generated content reaching 37 million people, to giant Rexona cans serving as gathering points at the stadiums and FIFA Fan Festivals in Miami and Dallas.
Every activation reinforced the brand promise, driving cultural relevance, embedding the world's No.1 deodorant brand in the minds of football fans and consumers, and driving growth and desire at scale.
Maria Pilar Pereira, Senior Global Brand Manager for Rexona, shares more in this video.
Unilever Power Brands activated at scale for the FIFA World Cup 2026™
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How did Unilever connect its brands with fans for the FIFA World Cup 2026™?
As Official Personal Care Sponsor, Unilever had over 35 brands activating at scale, working with 50,000+ creators, to reach an audience of 6 billion+ viewers throughout the tournament.
Brand leaders from Dove, Rexona, Dove Men+Care and Axe joined us in The Locker Room, Unilever’s 24/7 content creation space, to share the insights and inspiration behind their World Cup activations.
For Dove, it was about putting girls at the forefront with campaigns that champion body confidence and the power of sport to boost self-esteem.
Rexona showed up during games as the official substitution boards and extra time sponsor, with its signature tick emblazoned under the arms of the fourth officials’ shirts.
Dove Men+Care reminded men to care for their skin like they care for the game, with ads soundtracked by football anthem Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes.
And Axe reminded fans that they could still ‘Smell Your Best When You Look Your Worst’, with locally tailored versions of the campaign rolling out across markets.
Why our FIFA World Cup 2026™ marketing must be culturally relevant
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Why is cultural relevance crucial in marketing?
Landing brands in culture allows us to show up where our consumers are, become part of their world and turn that connection into conversion.
That’s why, as Official Personal Care Sponsor for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, our brands are activating through content, events and experiences that are built to feel authentic and engaging.
Brand leaders from Unilever’s Rexona, Dove, Axe and Dove Men+Care brands share why cultural relevance is crucial to driving growth.
Dove invites creators to experience football from girls’ POV
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As an Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Dove showed up for girls across all of its brand activations throughout the tournament.
At Unilever’s House of Fresh™ creator experience in New York and Miami, over 200 influencers from 14 countries came together around a shared goal; keeping girls in the sports they love.
Designed for the feed, every moment was created to inspire content that encourages girls everywhere to stay in the game.
The experience flipped the usual football tropes to show the game through girls’ eyes.
And the results speak for themselves. Dove’s House of Fresh™ activations sparked more than 2,000 pieces of creator-led content and generated 120 million video views.
How is Dove working with influencers to shape storytelling?
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Unilever is working with creators to shape stories, scale reach and connect with communities.
For Dove, that means collaborating with thousands of micro and nano-influencers who are sharing their lived experiences of body confidence. They’re speaking their truth in a way that’s authentic to them, not just for the brand.
Hear more from Dove Masterbrand Sports Lead Laila Hashmi on how the brand worked with creators at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and watch the full interview here.
How we’re using probiotics to transform home cleaning
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70% of home care consumers want products to last longer so they don't have to clean so often. And 45% want non-toxic ingredients.
Those consumer insights helped inspire the development of Cif Infinite Clean, which uses cutting-edge microbiome technology and probiotics to naturally keep surfaces clean long after application.
Cif Assistant Brand Manager Pavlina explains how the team combined science-led innovation with distinct packaging and unique fragrances to create a superior cleaning experience.
The launch campaign – which involved 10,000 nano influencers – racked up 17 million views and a 98% recommendation rate. Breakthrough science + premium aesthetics + cultural relevance = Desire at Scale in action.
Elfried Samba goes inside our FIFA World Cup 2026™ activation
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We invited Elfried Samba, a leading voice on creators and community, to join us behind the scenes at the FIFA World Cup 2026™, where Unilever is the Official Personal Care Sponsor.
His verdict? Our biggest-ever sports activation puts creators at its centre, giving them experiences that are too good not to post – a move that sparks authentic content and makes a global event feel personal. Because scale is great. But scale without relevance is just expensive noise.
Watch the first video in Elf’s three-part series here, and there’s more to come.
Elfried Samba on House of Fresh, our FIFA World Cup 2026™ creator hub
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“When creators want to film, wear, share and talk about your products you’re not just buying reach. You’re increasing the chances of relevance, product desire and conversion.”
That’s what a leading voice on creators and community, Elfried Samba said after joining us at Unilever Personal Care’s House of Fresh – our immersive creator hub at the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
From custom football shirts to player pop-ups and a product wall showcasing Rexona, Dove and Dove Men+Care and more, every corner of House of Fresh gave creators moments worth sharing. A brand activation built to spark commercial value through creators.
Because, as Elf explains: “When the experience does the job, brands don’t interrupt the feed. They become part of it.”
Watch the second video in Elf’s three-part series.
Elfried Samba on building growth through creator-led marketing
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“Sponsorship gives you reach. Creators give you relevance. And relevance is what makes people care enough to act.”
In the final episode of Elfried Samba’s behind-the-scenes look at Unilever Personal Care’s FIFA World Cup 2026™ sponsorship, he shares why our creator-led approach is winning commercial success.
Elf explains: “Broadcasting says ‘Look at us’. Creator-led marketing says, ‘Here’s why this matters to you’. And when you get that right, it doesn’t stop at engagement. It builds desire, builds trust, drives sales and generates growth.”
Pioneering change, defining the future, delivering impact
Science – Transforming our products
With world-leading science, we rapidly turn insight into innovations that make markets, not just take market share. From breakthroughs that elevate sensorials to superior formulations that delight, our science fuels brands that create Desire at Scale.
Technology – Enabling our ambitions
We’re reshaping Unilever for the age of AI – accelerating decisions, simplifying processes and unleashing creativity. By amplifying our people’s ingenuity with technology, we’re reinventing categories, unlocking new scientific frontiers and creating new possibilities everywhere we operate.
Insights – Understanding our consumers
With unrivalled insight into consumers, we stay three steps ahead – foreseeing trends before anyone else and turning aspiration into reality. This deep understanding enables us to build brands that inspire, ignite desire and remain proudly relevant in culture.
Climate action has long been a part of how we do business. But the world must move faster to avoid the worst effects of climate change. We’ve set more ambitious climate targets and identified clearer actions to respond to this challenge.
The world – and our business – needs resilient natural and agricultural ecosystems to thrive. We’re committed to contributing to the protection and regeneration of nature, within and beyond our value chain.
We’ve been working hard to create a circular economy for plastic packaging for a number of years. We’ve learnt that transformation takes time. Given the size of this challenge, we’re using our innovation capabilities to find new, scalable solutions.
The impacts of inequality go far beyond income – to health, human rights and economic growth. So we’re working to improve the livelihoods of people in our global value chain.
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Connecting with people where and how it matters to them.
Vaseline appoints JENNIE as Global Body Care Ambassador
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Vaseline has appointed JENNIE as Global Ambassador for its Body Care collection.
Recognised for her influence across music, fashion and culture, JENNIE’s debut campaign for Vaseline offers a closer look into her body care routine, highlighting the rituals and consistency behind healthy-looking hydrated skin.
The partnership brings Vaseline’s trusted body care expertise into a modern beauty and lifestyle conversation.
