Launching a Global Icon: How World Sports Advertising Helped Unveil the Qatar 2022 Emblem to the World
In September 2019, the world watched as the official emblem for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ was unveiled in a coordinated global event unlike any seen in the history of the tournament. From London to Seoul, Madrid to Johannesburg, the emblem launch lit up iconic landmarks and captivated audiences on every continent. Behind this historic moment was a carefully executed media campaign—one that World Sports Advertising (WSA) was proud to help deliver.
WSA played a central role in activating the emblem across key international cities, orchestrating the Out-of-Home (OOH) rollout that made the launch truly global. The campaign didn’t just mark the next chapter in football’s most prestigious tournament—it showcased the power of media to unify, engage, and inspire.
A Global Reveal Like No Other
The Qatar 2022 emblem was more than a logo. Designed to reflect the tournament’s themes of unity, heritage, and the modern Middle East, the emblem drew on Arabic calligraphy, traditional woollen shawls, and the distinctive contours of the World Cup trophy itself.
To match the ambition of the design, FIFA and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) set out to deliver a launch on a global scale—and Out-of-Home media played a starring role.
In the space of a single night, the emblem was displayed across 24 major cities worldwide, projected onto iconic landmarks and integrated into digital OOH screens in the world’s most high-profile locations. From Times Square in New York to Piccadilly Lights in London, the reveal was not only seen—it was experienced.
World Sports Advertising’s Role in the Campaign
World Sports Advertising was appointed to plan and deliver the international media execution—working alongside FIFA's lead creative and strategic partners to ensure that the reveal reached both football fans and global business audiences in equal measure.
WSA’s remit focused on three core objectives:
- Securing Premium Media Locations
- WSA leveraged its access to Tier 1 global OOH inventory, including landmark digital screens, projection sites, and transit networks. In London, this meant working closely with site operators to coordinate the reveal at Piccadilly Circus—a location synonymous with historic brand campaigns and public moments.
- Coordinating Time-Sensitive Activation Across Time Zones
- With simultaneous reveals planned in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, the campaign required precise timing and logistical planning. WSA acted as the coordinating hub for multiple site partners and media owners, ensuring that each activation occurred within the strict FIFA launch window.
- Maximising Impact Through Media Integration
- To amplify the physical reveal, WSA supported a wave of digital and social media integration, including live video coverage, time-synchronised social assets, and earned media strategies. The OOH displays acted as focal points for press, influencers, and fan-led content across all markets.
Strategic Cities, Global Visibility
The cities selected for the reveal were not random. They represented strategic global centres for football fandom, media influence, and cultural relevance. These included:
- London – via Piccadilly Lights, one of Europe’s most prestigious advertising locations
- New York – with displays in Times Square, targeting North American audiences ahead of the 2026 World Cup
- Paris, Madrid, Milan, and Buenos Aires – tapping into the heart of football culture
- Johannesburg, Mumbai, Seoul, and Mexico City – expanding the campaign’s footprint across the Global South
- Dubai, Kuwait, and Muscat – reinforcing the tournament’s Middle Eastern identity
This diverse rollout helped FIFA and the SC not only celebrate the emblem’s design, but also signal the arrival of the World Cup in a new region of the world—one with ambition, capability, and vision.
More Than a Logo: A Cultural Moment
For World Sports Advertising, this campaign represented the very best of what sport and media can achieve when aligned. The emblem itself symbolised inclusivity, legacy, and modern Arab identity—but the campaign also reflected WSA’s own philosophy: that strategic, well-executed media can create lasting impact far beyond the screen.
From managing global media rights to aligning time-sensitive creative with landmark placements, this was not a standard brand reveal. It was a coordinated act of global storytelling—and WSA was proud to help make it happen.
A Legacy of Global Sports Activation
The Qatar 2022 emblem reveal stands as one of the most expansive OOH campaigns in FIFA World Cup history, and a highlight in WSA’s portfolio of high-impact sports activations.
Our work with FIFA and the SC reinforces the role we continue to play in bridging sport, culture, and global media—whether through long-term partnerships or one-night-only moments that stop the world.
As the world now looks ahead to future tournaments, WSA remains committed to helping brands, federations, and organisers connect with fans in ways that are powerful, unmissable, and unforgettable.