PR Week: How Levi's and Gillette Turned Covered Logos Into Viral Engagement

A recent PR Week feature examines how non-sponsor brands captured outsized attention at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including Meltwater analysis showing that FIFA's own stadium logo cover-ups became some of these brands' biggest engagement drivers.

Read the full article: PR Week – The brands and stars who captivated 2026 FIFA World Cup fans

How Covered Logos Became Levi's and Gillette's Biggest Engagement Wins

According to analysis conducted by Meltwater and cited in PR Week's reporting, Levi's strongest brand-specific content of the tournament was tied directly to its covered stadium logo: a single TikTok video accounted for 24% of the brand's top-performing engagement, with a second TikTok adding another 18%. Gillette saw a similar pattern, with roughly 15% of its top engagement coming from one creator's post about its obscured signage.

"I think both strategies pay off. Again, it's back to what you know, whether you're a sponsor or not. And you can spin it both ways. It's a matter of how you get third parties to talk about your brand in that context, as well as working with influencers and to position yourself. They're two different strategies and actually both yielded results. So at the end of the day, you can't say one is wrong or right." said Alexandra Bjertnæs, Chief Strategy Officer at Meltwater.

How Real-Time Media Intelligence Captures Viral Moments

Moments like a covered logo going viral don't wait for a quarterly report, they spread in hours. Meltwater's social listening and media intelligence capabilities are built to catch that kind of unplanned momentum as it happens, tracking which creators, posts, and moments are driving disproportionate engagement for a brand in real time. That visibility lets Meltwater customers understand not just how much attention a brand is getting, but where it's actually coming from, official campaign or otherwise.

Meltwater: A Leader in Actionable Intelligence

Meltwater is the global leader in actionable intelligence for PR, Communications, and Marketing teams. With 27,000 customers worldwide, Meltwater is the intelligence platform global brands trust to stay ahead. Meltwater: Intelligence you can act on. Learn more at meltwater.com.