It is "a good time to work out who won the battle of the brands in terms of digital customer engagement" over the four weeks of the Brazil World Cup, according to Paul Snoxell of MEDIA WEEK. Nike and Beats by Dre are "stellar examples." The former’s five-minute epic "was impressive, while the latter’s film gave that back of the neck feeling despite having a product that has little connection with football (unless you count walking off the team bus with your headphones clamped on as a vital part of the sport)." What both did "brilliantly was to create a compelling piece of story-telling that was liked, shared and posted across the web with fans investing their time to watch the long-form piece." The brand that "blew both away" was adidas. Sheer luck meant that "it had two flagship teams in the final." But its in-tournament activity "was full of intent" and the brand did not put a foot wrong. The sports brand "weaved its #allinornothing message not only into its flagship ad, but through ultra-short form content via Instagram and Vine." Ultra-short format films "sate the world’s appetite for content." It is "always fresh, current and regular." The World Cup proved that "brands need to use long and ultra-short form in tandem to be effective" (MEDIA WEEK, 7/22).
