Epic ads are crowding the field ahead of Thursday's World Cup kickoff, but Adidas doesn't mind just having a little fun, sometimes.
This spot from the official sponsor, via TBWA\Chiat\Day, finds retired giants of the game David Beckham (age 39) and Zinedine Zidane (41) bored while watching whippersnappers Gareth Bale (24) and Lucas Moura (21) playing EA Sports' 2014 FIFA World Cup video game. The old men challenge the young men to kick a ball around in real life, and the foursome proceed to trash Beckhingham Palace, the posh home Becks used to occupy with his wife Victoria (before they moved to a much more expensive one).
The roguish spot is a welcome respite from anxiety-ridden opuses like Nike's animated takedown of knockoff players, or Beats by Dre's ode to pre-game rituals, or Adidas's own Messi nightmare, or the brand's PETA-trolling cow-heart campaign.
It is a game, after all. And given that it's one where players tend to tap out well before 40, it's nice to see age trump beauty for a change.