Promo Insiders: Our Print & Promo Takeaways From the 2026 FIFA World Cup
ASI’s writers and editors share how print and promotional products have become key players at the global sporting event.
As soccer fans anxiously await the final matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, print and promotional products have already proven to be clear winners at the games. From team apparel and brand activations to signage and product giveaways, it’s hard to miss how brands have embedded these items into nearly every element of this year’s games.
Emily Wilson, ASI’s editorial intern and a self-proclaimed sports fan, noticed this trend right away when she attended the FIFA Fan Festival, which took place in Philadelphia, the 2026 host city where Wilson currently resides.
“People want something that they had a hand in creating,” she explains, referring to a Bank of America activation where people could make their own charm bracelets with customized team- or city-inspired beads. “It was kind of rainy out, and I went right when it opened, but the line was still maybe hundreds of people. It was helpful for me being new to promo because I think the things that were popular [at the FIFA Fan Fest] are also trends in the industry, so I was able to learn a lot.”
Among those learnings, Wilson adds, is the lengths brands will go to stand out. “What struck me the most is how much these companies want to be different and create an experience and have something that’s useful to people. Companies want to do something that’s interesting and that people will remember.”
Brendan Menapace, content director of Print & Promo Marketing, also attended the Fan Fest and has watched all but three of the World Cup matches. He added that he’s witnessed everyone from FIFA brand partners to small businesses jump on the World Cup bandwagon when it comes to marketing.
“Bars and restaurants in Philadelphia will have custom soccer jerseys for their staff, [and] they’ve used the theme of the World Cup to just add a layer of branding to get in on the action,” he notes.
In this week’s episode of Promo Insiders, Menapace and Wilson sit down with Counselor’s Digital News Editor Tara Lerman to discuss the intersection of print, promo and the FIFA World Cup. Be sure to stay until the end to hear their predictions about who might win the final match.
Mentioned in this episode:
FIFA Fan Festival Charms Fans With Creative Promo
Philly’s FIFA World Cup Fan Festival Is a Case Study in Using Print at Events
Key Takeaways
• The 2026 FIFA World Cup has elevated print and promotional products into mainstream culture through the integration of team apparel, brand activations and product giveaways by sponsors and brands.
• Print played a key role in the Philadelphia 2026 FIFA Fan Fest, with wide-format graphics, directional signage, event branding and immersive displays helping to shape the overall environment and guide attendees through the venue.
• Bank of America’s make-your-own-charm-bracelet activation showed the power of participation when it comes to promo products, providing further customization opportunities using team- or city-inspired bracelet beads.
• Sports branding offers lessons for promo: Jersey design, color matching and country-specific visual elements help create strong identities that promotional products marketers can emulate when building campaigns.
• Both official and unofficial partners of the games use World Cup-inspired promotional products to align with the event, like McDonald’s collectible cups, Starbucks reusable sleeves and custom jerseys at local venues.