Referees behind the World Cup’s smartest marketing trick that goes unnoticed for most of the game
Here’s why so many players are rocking pink boots at the World Cup
At this World Cup, a clever sponsor placement has been spotted on every referee’s shirt. The logo stays hidden most of the time but pops out when an official raises their arms.
FIFA says about six billion people will be watching or following the tournament this summer, with over five million fans expected to attend matches in the US, Mexico, and Canada. With so many eyes on the games, Rexona’s smart sponsorship move could turn out to be a real winner.
As you can see in the picture below, the deodorant brand’s logo is placed right under the referees’ armpits, so it stays out of sight for most of the game. But when referees make big decisions—like calling a penalty, giving a card, or holding up the substitution board—the Rexona logo becomes clearly visible to viewers at home.
Rexona, known as Sure in the UK, also has its logo on the substitution board. The idea of placing the deodorant brand right under the armpit has been praised by many.
The Activation, a LinkedIn page, shared their thoughts:
“Someone had a great idea—put the logo on the fourth official’s jersey under the armpit. When substitutions happen, the board goes up, both arms raise, and the Rexona logo appears exactly where a deodorant brand should be.”
“Right under the arms. On football’s biggest stage. In front of six billion people. It works perfectly because the action triggers it—the arms go up and the logo pops.”
They added, “It’s so clever and well-timed, you’ll laugh because you can’t believe no one thought of it before!”
In other World Cup news, many viewers quickly noticed during Mexico’s win over South Africa that most players seemed to wear the same bright shoes. This has been a trend in matches so far, but why?
This summer, Nike, Adidas, and Puma all chose pink as their main shoe color. Nike’s research says athletes feel the most confident wearing bright, bold colors.
Odinga Nimako, a senior member of Nike’s global football footwear team, told The Athletic:
“What we’ve heard from athletes and fans, especially during big moments, is that bright colors boost confidence. So that’s where we started.”
“We focused on the brightest colors that really boost confidence, and pink is one of them.”
“People say wearing pink shoes is a bold move—you need to be good to pull off that look. But pink has become accepted enough that it appeals to a wide audience.”
Plus, bright pink stands out on the field. It contrasts well with the green grass, and with none of the 48 teams wearing pink uniforms, the shoes really pop.