Duracell Taps Lionel Messi to Power Promotions During World Cup

Duracell may have developed an ad concept with lasting power akin to its renowned batteries.

With the World Cup approaching, the Berkshire Hathaway-owned brand is unveiling a campaign starring soccer star Lionel Messi. In the ad, Messi runs out of energy and is rejuvenated by a Duracell “power boost” provided by the company’s Duracell Scientist. The commercial begins airing on Wednesday.

“The plan is to run it through the balance of the World Cup while all attention is on soccer,” says Todd Midura, vice president of marketing for Duracell, during a recent interview. According to the executive, the Messi ad will be featured during World Cup matches on Fox and Telemundo, and will also appear in programmatic ads on YouTube and Amazon, as well as in audio and social media.

This concept might seem familiar, as Duracell attempted a similar strategy during Super Bowl LIX on Fox in 2025. In that ad, viewers were tricked into thinking they had returned to the game after a commercial break, seeing Fox Sports’ Tom Brady and his co-host, Kevin Burkhardt, discussing the event. Just as Brady was about to speak, he appeared to shut down during his debut as a Super Bowl commentator, until Duracell stepped in to save the day.

The ad was well-received, prompting executives to consider repeating the strategy under suitable conditions.

“When we first did Brady, we didn’t have visions necessarily of making this kind of a long-standing campaign or something we would do more than once. But it got a great reception,” says Midura. “People got the message of the ad, and we thought about what could we do to kind of, do the next step? We looked at what was going to be big in culture next.”

The World Cup emerged as the next big cultural event, and with Messi’s team agreeing to participate, executives believed they had the right ingredients for a sequel.

Duracell’s strategy highlights the increasing focus of major advertisers on sports. With more consumers streaming content like dramas and comedies at their convenience, live sports remain one of the few genres that attract large, simultaneous audiences. Creating a campaign tailored to the sport being watched can be more effective than a standalone commercial shown across various events.

“You can’t ignore the attention that is moving to sports, especially if you look at the broadcast networks,” says Midura. “Sports is still the one thing you can really rely on to deliver live eyeballs.”

Executives believe the concept can continue, so long as they can pair a “GOAT” (greatest of all time) athlete or personality with a cultural event that lends the effort a higher degree of relevance.

“Yes, we’ve certainly started to talk about who the next one could be. We haven’t committed yet to doing it,” says Midura. “I would just be on the lookout for where there’s a cultural moment and potentially a GOAT.”

Meanwhile, Duracell is exploring further collaborations with Messi. Limited-edition battery packs set to be released in May will feature the soccer star’s leg tattoo, marking the first time the company has incorporated a promotional partner’s marks into its product design.