In the build up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, adidas wanted to become the most talked about brand at the tournament. The ambition was to take football into a cultural space, fusing sport with creativity. The World Cup was the perfect moment as the target audience would be at their most receptive.

We had one objective: create an unmissable impact in football that enters popular culture, driving unprecedented brand heat for adidas football during the sport’s most anticipated event.

To achieve something of this scale the idea needed to be based on powerful insight and a deep understanding of the audience. Discovering commonalities that play out across each market in order to appeal to every football-obsessed teen and beyond. To genuinely answer the brief and create something unmissable, we needed to be brave and provocative, with perfect timing.

adidas became the first brand ever to publicly choose a side in the fiercest rivalry in football: is Messi or Ronaldo the Greatest Of All Time [GOAT]?”

We depicted Leo Messi, adidas’ lead player in an iconic portrait which paired the player with a real goat. Contrasting Messi’s serious pose with the irreverence of appearing alongside a real goat, the image was simple yet immediate, unforgettable and explosive.

We knew every football fan around the world would have a vocal opinion. We knew that not every fan would agree with the image or the statement it was making. But this was the intention – it attracted the target audience and meant adidas reached new levels of exposure.

It was an idea first and foremost that meant we could continue to engage the audience throughout the World Cup, resurfacing GOAT when it was most relevant, in a wide range of media.

Each element of the campaign was planned to send shockwaves through the world of football.

The approach was underpinned by the belief that brands must do more than just sell products. They must have opinions on their consumers’ world. Backing Messi with a provocative, public declaration represents one of adidas’ boldest ever moves.

We knew that what would make the image explosive was Messi’s personality. Despite his world-class footballing prowess, he is known as one of the most private footballers, which added to the power of the image. Backing Ronaldo, who frequently invites media attention, would not have had the same audience impact.

We knew the distribution strategy would be crucial to ensure every football-obsessed teen engaged with adidas’ statement. We considered all media channels, even the advertising boarders during Argentina’s matches, and worked in an agile way to react to events on and off the pitch.

In collaboration with PAPER, a magazine famously known for making unmissable statements in popular culture, we orchestrated a shoot unlike any other where real goats were captured alongside Messi.

With just over a week until the World Cup began, adidas set the internet on fire by publishing the iconic portrait which immortalised their lead player Leo Messi as the Greatest Of All Time – the GOAT.

The reaction from adidas' target audience across social media was predictably intense. Emotions from Ronaldo fans ranged from shock to disbelief, whilst Messi supporters showed hysteria and adoration – all driving brand heat for adidas at the launch of their latest football boot.

The iconic image wasn't lost on the wider world either as the story filtered through football media and beyond. And as the World Cup played out so did the debate, with GOAT-themed perimeter boards during Argentina's group games.

The statement was unmissable in popular culture as the story created headlines in football and non-football media and social channels across the world.

Across adidas channels alone, the influencer content is the best performing post of all time, generating a total of 1.3m likes, 10k comments and 16k mentions. Our video reached 1.1m views across football channels, with 137.6K likes and 2.2K comments.

Generating $8m earned media value (the most of any FIFA sponsor and over twice the next highest brand), and in a welcomed addition, powering sales for their latest product launch, adidas solidified themselves as the dominating brand at the World Cup.

And the most entertaining sign of success? Stirring the emotions of the second-greatest footballer of all time. Ronaldo’s goal celebration became an unmistakable impression of a goat and he even started sporting a goatee during Portugal’s second group match.

Agree or disagree, you couldn’t miss it.