Messi powers up with Duracell for World Cup

Duracell has unveiled a new advertising campaign featuring soccer superstar Lionel Messi, timed to coincide with the approaching World Cup tournament. This campaign aims to leverage the significant global focus on soccer. The new advertisements are scheduled to begin airing on Wednesday, with plans to run them throughout the duration of the World Cup. They will be visible during World Cup games broadcast on Fox and Telemundo. Additionally, the ads will be distributed through programmatic spots on platforms like YouTube and Amazon, and will extend to audio and social media channels. Duracell's marketing vice president, Todd Madura, indicated that the campaign is designed to capture the attention surrounding the sport. Building on past successes, Duracell previously ran a similar concept during Super Bowl LIX in 2025, which featured Tom Brady appearing to 'power down' during a broadcast. The positive reception to the Brady ad inspired Duracell to develop a lasting campaign strategy. Executives identified the World Cup as the next major cultural event with broad appeal. The company is also exploring additional ways to associate with Messi, including releasing limited-edition battery packs in May that will showcase a design inspired by the athlete's leg tattoo, marking the first time Duracell has incorporated external partner designs onto its product. This move highlights a broader trend of major advertisers focusing on sports due to their ability to draw large, live audiences in an era of fragmented video consumption.