© Sean Knott for the above image from a Jet 2 Campaign. Football Sean's way; always uplifting and connected

Football fever

21 July, 2026

Were you watching the World Cup?

Football was an obsession in my family. As a kid my dad used to drag the TV into the garden on an extension lead and watch the world cup with a sun hat and a glass of pop. The kitchen was even painted in Sunderland colours. (There, I said it. Utterly embarrassing. My poor long-suffering mother.)

Even if you’re not a football fan (and for the record, I am not – see above trauma), it’s hard to escape it right now.

Brands certainly don’t.

Major sporting events are gold for advertisers. Agencies spend months planning campaigns around them, and even if you weren’t one of the many photographers shooting football-related work over the past year, you’ve almost certainly seen it.

Like football, marketing is highly tactical.

Photographers who stay top of mind and get hired to work on the next big campaign think the same way.

  • They were photographing promising young footballers years before they became household names.
  • They were making football-related personal work a year ago so they’d be top of mind when the commissions came in.
  • They’ve been sharing those commissioned campaigns as the tournament has unfolded.
  • They’re using personal work, flashbacks and previous campaigns to join the conversation too (whatever their viewpoint – FIFA isn’t exactly without controversy).

As the celebrations and commiserations settle, what can you do now to become part of the conversation?

And if footy isn’t your thing, what matters to your target audience over the next year or two? What events, conversations or trends can you start building work around now?