30 Years of FIFA World Cup & Olympic Brand Activations (1994–2024)
The FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games aren’t just sporting spectacles; they’re global marketing goldmines. Over the last three decades, brands have leveraged these mega-events to connect with fans, create unforgettable experiences, and push the boundaries of advertising. From Nike’s iconic commercials to Coca-Cola’s immersive fan tours, these activations reveal how creativity, technology, and fan-first…
The Ultimate Guide to FIFA World Cup 2026’s Brand Activations Fans Will Love
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the biggest football event in history, with 48 teams playing 104 matches across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico (EMW Global report). As we refer to in the USA, soccer is coming home. Analysts predict more than six billion people will follow the tournament,…
Community, Not Just Reach: Why Fan-Led Storytelling Beats Broadcaster-Only Strategies in 2025
If you work in sports, entertainment, or the creator economy, you’ve felt the shift: audiences are no longer satisfied being “reached.” They want to be recruited into inside jokes, fan rituals, live reactions, and shared authorship. In 2025, that’s not a trend but the playbook. Social platforms keep rewarding real voices; fans keep rewarding the…
Branded Video Messages to Gifts (and How Florists & Gift Shops Can Price It)
You know that feeling when someone opens a gift, and it’s not just the present that makes them smile, but it’s the thought behind it? Well, that’s the magic we’re talking about. Today, people are looking for a moment, a memory, something that touches the heart. And honestly, nothing says “I’m thinking of you” more…
Holiday 2025 Personalization Playbook: How QR-Powered Video Gift Notes Turn Every Purchase Into a Mom
Holiday 2025 Personalization Playbook: How QR-Powered Video Gift Notes Turn Every Purchase Into a Moment The holiday season of 2025 is shaping up to be a game-changer for retail brands looking to capture the hearts and attention of their customers. As consumer expectations continue to rise, hyper-personalization has emerged as one of the most powerful…
Dallas to Miami: City-Specific Content Strategies for the Biggest World Cup Ever
The FIFA World Cup 2026 content strategy playbook isn’t “one size fits all.” With matches and fan zones spread across 16 North American cities, every market brings its own culture, slang, pace, and pride. If you’re still planning one generic hero spot and a single hashtag, you’ll miss the lightning in the local bottle, especially…
FIFA 2026 Host-City Goldmine: Fan Zones, Festivals, and UGC Challenges Brands Should Launch Now
The last World Cup, held in 2022, drew over 5 billion global views. That’s more than half the planet tuning in to watch, share, and celebrate. The 2026 edition is even bigger: it will be the largest in history, featuring It will be the first time three nations co-host the tournament, making it a cultural…
How to Collect Authentic User-Generated Video Content for Your Brand
Think about the last time a polished ad really stuck with you. Now compare it with a scrappy, heartfelt TikTok or Instagram video from a real customer sharing their experience. Which one felt more believable? Which one would you share with a friend? That’s the magic of user-generated video content (UGC). Today’s audiences don’t want…
Step-by-Step Guide to Crowdsourcing a Music Video
Gone are the days when music videos were glossy productions limited to artists, directors, and a camera crew. Today, fans are not just watching; they’re starring in them. From Beyoncé’s fans filling TikTok with choreography challenges to indie bands sourcing lip-sync clips on Instagram, crowdsourced music videos are booming. Crowdsourcing simply means opening up a…
How to Collect UGC Videos Without Apps
If you still make customers download an app just to record a quick testimonial or event moment, you’re losing most of them. In 2025, the winning move is browser-based, app-free user-generated content (UGC) video capture that works instantly from a link or QR code. Below, you’ll get a complete, practical playbook: what app-free looks like,…
Video Content for Personalized Marketing: The Power of UGC
Personalization has shifted from a competitive advantage to a baseline expectation. Customers increasingly anticipate content, offers, and experiences that reflect their needs and context, delivered in real time across channels. What’s changed in 2025 is the scale and speed at which marketers can meet those expectations. AI now enables brands to tailor messages and surface…
Why Human-Created Video Matters in the AI Era
We’re excited to share that BrandLens was recently featured in LA Examiner, highlighting the shift happening in the content creation world. The piece explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming workflows while reaffirming the irreplaceable value of human creativity. For us at BrandLens, this recognition is more than media coverage, it validates our belief that…
