BMO's "Grow the Game" Campaign Celebrates the FIFA World Cup
Jana Pijak — June 13, 2026 — Marketing
References: youtube
BMO is embracing Toronto’s role as a FIFA World Cup host city with its “Grow the Game” campaign, developed by TBWACanada ahead of the city’s first match in the tournament. While not an official sponsor, BMO is leveraging its position as the Official Bank of Canada Soccer and the namesake of BMO Field to celebrate a landmark moment for the sport in Canada.
The integrated campaign spans television, digital, social, experiential, and out-of-home channels, transforming transit hubs, office towers, retail spaces, and public gathering areas into soccer-inspired fan experiences. Standout activations include hands-free ATMs that dispense merchandise through soccer-themed gameplay and the “BMO Deskshaw,” a mobile experience inspired by the brand’s campaign imagery.
The creative also features actor and comedian Lamorne Morris as “The BMO Guy” alongside Canada Soccer star Alphonso Davies, using humor to connect banking, fandom, and sports culture. By blending entertainment, experiential marketing, and community engagement, the campaign demonstrates how brands are increasingly creating immersive cultural moments that extend far beyond traditional sponsorship models.
Image Credit: BMO, TBWACanada
The integrated campaign spans television, digital, social, experiential, and out-of-home channels, transforming transit hubs, office towers, retail spaces, and public gathering areas into soccer-inspired fan experiences. Standout activations include hands-free ATMs that dispense merchandise through soccer-themed gameplay and the “BMO Deskshaw,” a mobile experience inspired by the brand’s campaign imagery.
The creative also features actor and comedian Lamorne Morris as “The BMO Guy” alongside Canada Soccer star Alphonso Davies, using humor to connect banking, fandom, and sports culture. By blending entertainment, experiential marketing, and community engagement, the campaign demonstrates how brands are increasingly creating immersive cultural moments that extend far beyond traditional sponsorship models.
Image Credit: BMO, TBWACanada
Trend Themes
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Unofficial Sponsorship Activations — Brands adjacent to major events can build cultural relevance through creative fan experiences that rival official sponsorship visibility without requiring exclusive rights.
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Gamified Retail Touchpoints — Interactive features such as gameplay-enabled ATMs turn routine financial or retail interactions into memorable brand encounters with stronger engagement potential.
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Urban Fan Experience Networks — Transit hubs, office towers, and public spaces are becoming distributed media environments where immersive sports storytelling can reach consumers across daily routines.
Industry Implications
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Sports Marketing — The shift from logo placement to participatory entertainment creates room for agencies and brands to develop event-adjacent experiences that deepen fan loyalty.
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Banking — Financial institutions gain new relevance when everyday banking infrastructure is reimagined as a platform for culture, fandom, and community connection.
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Experiential Advertising — Hybrid campaigns spanning physical installations, social content, and celebrity-led storytelling expand the category beyond one-off activations into always-visible cultural ecosystems.
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