Levi's

Messi Tops Stars Influencing Consumer Purchases

A JB.com analysis, highlighted by social-media expert Matt Navarra, ranks the 11 celebrities whose brand partnerships most influence purchasing decisions based on Instagram campaign reach and media coverage. Lionel Messi ranks first (Adidas CODECHAOS Messi golf shoe campaign), Cristiano Ronaldo second (Nike CR7/Mercurial campaigns) and Hailey Bieber third (Gap denim capsule and Mango ambassadorship). The ranking uses four weighted metrics — Instagram views of the most recent brand collaboration (30%), media mentions (30%), news coverage about the partnership (25%) and the number of active brand partnerships in 2026 (15%) — normalized into an influence score where Messi is the reference (100). The study considered Instagram only; other social platforms were excluded. The article includes a full table listing the eleven celebrities, their campaigns and underlying metrics.

Ad Age Q2 2026 Agency Confidence Index: Weak Sentiment

Ad Age's Q2 2026 Agency Confidence Index finds that overall agency-industry sentiment remains below a healthy level. The story highlights continued budget shifts for Q3 2026 and signals of agency-client changes, with brands such as Coca-Cola Co., Levi’s and Microsoft undertaking agency reviews. The piece also references broader industry activity at Cannes Lions — including creator-led pitches like Alex Cooper’s promotion of Unwell Creative Agency — and notes ongoing restructuring at major holding company WPP, which plans additional job cuts affecting agencies including VML. The report suggests cautious industry conditions rather than outright collapse, with implications for agency staffing, client reviews and media buying plans heading into the third quarter.

Rights-free relevance won at the 2026 World Cup

Chris Allen of agency The Romans argues that the 2026 World Cup demonstrated a shift in sports marketing: brands without official sponsorships generated the biggest cultural conversations by pursuing what he calls "rights-free relevance." Allen outlines a new playbook for sponsors based on three rules — pass the pub test (join existing conversations and add value), uncover culture (use broader cultural touchpoints), and lean into irreverence and humor. Examples include Lidl’s 'Three Lidls' shirt, Levi’s turning a FIFA logo cover-up into a campaign, a social wager between British Airways and Norwegian Airlines, Paddy Power’s skits, and Irn Bru’s World Cup anthem. Allen concludes that official rights remain valuable but are now a starting point that must be paired with creative cultural activation.