Sports marketers have come to accept that fans’ attention is fragmented during major events. They are snacking, texting, posting on social media — all while watching the game. And during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lay’s is planning to own those activities.
“The World Cup is one of the few moments where the entire world is connected at once, and that makes it a powerful brand-building community for us,” says Alexis Porter, vice president of Lay’s Global Brand. The snack company is launching an ambitious fan activation that includes what could be the world’s largest watch party, with athletes, celebrities, and fans interacting by the millions on the WhatsApp texting platform.
“We wanted to start with the fans. We’re building momentum with real fans where they are, which is in messaging apps. That’s where they are currently gathering and planning their watch parties,” said Porter. “With the World Cup, it’s where the entire world is going to be connected. And it’s just the beginning.”
The Epic Watch Party is an interactive group chat on WhatsApp that will last through the FIFA World Cup tournament. The chat room will let millions of fans connect with sports and entertainment stars including footballers Alexia Putellas, Lionel Messi and David Beckham, actor Steve Carell and others and share both exclusive brand content and fan-generated content.
This is “a brand new, first-of-its-kind technology” said Porter. WhatsApp and Lay’s worked to develop a suite of tools that would allow engagement at scale, and the fans responded by signing up in droves. It’s still early days, but Porter noted in two weeks after the watch party announcement, 2.5 million users had joined the chat, so the fear of missing out must be strong, she said.
“We didn’t know what to expect, but the signal of 2.5 million people – that quickly says there’s an appetite and a strong demand for this more connected, participatory fan experience,” said Porter. “It demonstrates this appetite for this scaled intimacy, being a part of what’s going on.”
Lay’s is following a “Something for Every Fan” strategy offering experiences for every level of fandom. It’s running a “Fan of the Match” promotion giving away 2 premium tickets to every one of the 104 matches that also include pitch-side access, a Fan of the Match trophy and a Jumbotron feature at half time. Fans can also interact with branded experiences in a Lay’s FIFA World Cup Fan Zone that will have games, reels and other content.
Additionally, the campaign will expand on the existing Lay’s RePlay program, which creates sustainable soccer fields from recycled potato chip bags, and its partnership with the charity Common Goal, which aims to improve the participation in sports by young people, regardless of their income levels. A group of RePlay Ambassadors chosen from local communities will attend World Cup matches as part of cultural exchanges to show how football drives meaningful social change.
These activations are meant to engage at a community level, and they are part of long-term partnerships. The activations “make sure there’s space in real life to support that passion point of football playing,” said Porter. They can’t just be a balance to the spectacle of the main event, she said.
“It’s not a checkbox,” said Porter. “It is part of the fandom.”
Fandom is about joy
It’s important to fuel that fandom, said Porter. “Sponsorship is no longer just about putting a logo on something,” she said. When thinking about strategic sponsorships and partnerships, Lay’s wants to be sure it is engaging and building the right audiences in the right ways and connecting them to the brand, she explained.
“Football is one of the most joyful things you can experience, and our brand is about joy,” she said. “So how do you make sure you’re always connecting those things to the fans? It’s super important to be where the people are.”
This promotion is an evolution of Lay’s three-year-old “No Lay’s No Game” platform launched during Lay’s sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) tournament. Soccer legend Thierry Henry, who was the spokesman for that effort, is also participating in the watch party.
“The World Cup is going to be a phenomenon this year, and there is going to be more fandom than ever. But we’ve had these partners for a long time,” said Porter. She noted the brand has worked with Messi and Beckham for many years. Lay’s has been involved with soccer for over 10 years, said Porter.
“No Lay’s No Game” had laid the foundation, but the excitement of the World Cup is building to levels beyond what was seen before, said Porter. The watch party also offers an opportunity to learn more about Lay’s consumers and plot course for future efforts, said Porter.
“Our commitment to this fandom is not going away,” said Porter. “Understanding better what people want and how they engage with what we put out there is a learning experience, so as we have more of those signals from the scaled audience that we’re collecting here, we can better serve the content and give them more of what they want.”
There will be more to come from Lay’s, both globally and locally, said Porter. Lay’s is the No.1 potato chip brand, but there are still things to do to build on that leadership and make people think differently about the brand, she said.
“We’re committed to making sure that we are a part of and elevating those football-watching occasions, no matter where they’re happening,” said Porter “Now we’re just doing it on the biggest stage in the biggest messaging platform with the biggest talent. That’s really a dream for a marketer.”
