- NESCAFÉ tapped U.S. soccer legend Landon Donovan and Mexican star Luis García to front "The NESCAFÉ Third Half," the brand's first-ever soccer marketing campaign, rolling out across the U.S. and Mexico.
- The campaign positions post-match coffee conversation as soccer's unofficial "third half," backed by survey data showing 83% of soccer fans say post-game debates heat up after every match.
- NESCAFÉ is launching a limited-edition Espresso Keg, priced at $10, a nod to Donovan's iconic jersey number, available in three exclusive drops on May 15, May 21, and June 11, 2026.
- This is NESCAFÉ's first sports-led creative campaign, debuting just weeks before the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off on home soil.
NESCAFÉ, the world’s largest coffee brand, has launched “The NESCAFÉ Third Half,” a soccer-inspired campaign starring Landon Donovan and Mexican icon Luis García, timed perfectly to the FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz sweeping the U.S. and Mexico.
The campaign, created by California-based agency Casanova, captures spirited post-game debate between the two legends, coffee in hand. It runs across TV, digital, OOH, and social channels.
A survey of 1,000 U.S. adult World Cup viewers found that 73% of soccer fans already drink coffee, making the pairing a natural fit.
Just as Thierry Henry recently teamed up with Samsung for a high-profile World Cup-era campaign, NESCAFÉ is leaning into the moment with authentic football faces.
Donovan, who says mornings have started with NESCAFÉ since his first professional season, released his memoir Landon: A Memoir in March 2026 and recently partnered with FanDuel and Absci Corporation. The campaign marks his first collaboration with NESCAFÉ.
For the brand, this is uncharted territory, their boldest sports move yet. Much like Rio Ferdinand’s Airbnb World Cup 2026 campaign, it taps retired legends to connect authentically with global fans.
NESCAFÉ has previously worked with Deepika Padukone and various international celebrities, but “The Third Half” is their first U.S. sports activation.
Takeaways
NESCAFÉ is making a smart, well-timed play. Brands that weave themselves into the rituals around sport, not just the game itself, tend to stick longer in consumers’ minds. This isn’t about putting a logo on a jersey; it’s about owning the couch conversation after the whistle.
Using Donovan, whose credibility with American soccer fans is unmatched, alongside García, who resonates deeply in Mexico, gives the campaign genuine bilingual, bicultural weight right before the most-watched sporting event in U.S. history.
The $10 Espresso Keg is a particularly sharp move, it’s a shareable, Instagram-friendly product that doubles as a collectible. Pricing it at Donovan’s jersey number? That’s the kind of storytelling detail that earns media coverage on its own.
Could “The Third Half” become a permanent seasonal platform for NESCAFÉ, or is this a one-cycle World Cup play? Does pairing a U.S. legend with a Mexican icon signal NESCAFÉ’s ambitions to deepen its foothold in the Spanish-speaking U.S. market?
