Bristol-Myers Squibb is gearing up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a new media campaign, launching its “Don’t Lose” ad ahead of the soccer world arriving in the United States for this summer’s tournament.
BMS’ home state of New Jersey hosts World Cup matches, including the final. BMS supports New Jersey’s efforts, securing a role in the NYNJ World Cup 26 Jersey Fan Hub and the opportunity to spotlight activities in and out of the state. With just five weeks to go until the tournament begins, BMS has announced its “Don’t Lose” campaign, which will be the centerpiece of marketing for the event.
The campaign centers around a 50-second ad narrated by two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner Ali Krieger, which draws parallels between science and soccer. Like soccer, science is “a game of inches,” Krieger says in voiceover.
“A lot of shots miss, but the ones that do make all the difference,” Krieger says in the video, which cuts between shots of scientists and soccer players. The ad introduces a father and son, then returns to the scientist and the soccer player, with Krieger saying, “It’s trial after trial. We fall, we get back up, and we move forward again.”
The ad ends with the line, “When the stakes are this real, the victory must be patient. That’s why Bristol-Myers Squibb ‘never loses'” overlaid with footage of a father and son celebrating a goal during a televised game. In the final seconds, the on-screen text reads, “Go all-in on 30 new treatments by 2030.”
BMS is running a national campaign across connected TV, programmatic display, video and social media. The campaign website includes details of BMS’s research, patient stories, and the company’s community health initiatives related to the World Cup.
The company created a mascot, “Squibby,” for this event. BMS explained that Squibby is both a scientist and a hype machine, “making science cool and bringing science to life by giving high fives, smiles, and reminders to never quit,” the company said.
BMS is one of several pharmaceutical companies running campaigns related to the World Cup. Haleon recently launched its “For the Assist” campaign to showcase its consumer health products. Amgen and Sanofi have ties to the event through their support of Los Angeles and Boston, respectively.
