As Colombia's leading bank and the official sponsor of the National Football Team, Bancolombia set out to cut through the World Cup noise.

THE CHALLENGE

Bancolombia had been the official sponsor of the Colombian National Football Team for over a decade. But heading into the World Cup, it faced a major challenge: its biggest competitor owned 70% of the category's Share of Impression. At the same time, the market was saturated. Every brand was celebrating the same players, delivering the same messages, across the same channels.

Bancolombia needed to achieve three objectives that rarely happen at once: regain digital leadership, strengthen Brand Equity, and prove that the passion for football could drive real business results. Not mentions. Not likes. Transactions.

THE IDEA

GUT Advertising asked the question no one else was asking: if every brand is looking at the pitch, who's looking at the stands?

That's where we found the story. In Juan David, a young man with visual impairment who had learned to experience football in his own way. In "El Cole," the fan who carries the country's pride into every match. And in the millions of supporters who shape the history of the game without ever kicking a ball.

Bancolombia stopped being another brand talking about football and became the official sponsor of passion—the brand that makes people's love for the game possible.

WHERE THE IDEA BECAME BUSINESS

A powerful story can move people. But to move a bank's business, it needs a strategy behind it. That was the role of GUT Marketing Services.

We designed a full-funnel strategy where emotion became the gateway to a transactional mechanic: every purchase made with a Bancolombia Mastercard Debit or Credit card earned miles, bringing fans one step closer to experiencing the Colombian National Team in Miami. Everyday purchases—from groceries to gas to lunch—became another way to get closer to the World Cup.

Our media investment followed the same logic: 52% of the budget was dedicated to building reach and establishing the message, while 47% focused on conversion, activating football fans and the bank's base of 8 million digital customers at the moments that mattered most.

THE EXECUTION

We synchronized TV and digital through a 360° MultiReach strategy that reached 90% of the country. Digital alone delivered a reach of 27 million people.

We took over YouTube's Masthead during live match windows, ensuring fans watching the games on TV would encounter the campaign again whenever they went online to join the conversation. On Meta, we matched the bank's first-party data with social audiences to drive qualified users directly into the registration journey. On TikTok, "El Cole" became part of the World Cup conversation. And on DirecTV and Gol Caracol, the campaign remained present even during Argentina, Spain, and France matches—because football fans don't stop being fans when Colombia isn't playing.

After the Hero Video surpassed 45 million completed views, media shifted from building brand awareness on the biggest screens to driving users, on their mobile devices, directly into the campaign mechanic.

RESULTS

• 118% over target in Mastercard Debit and Credit card transaction volume.
• Bancolombia overtook its main competitor, capturing 74% of the digital Share of Investment after the competitor's historical 70% dominance.
• More than 45 million completed views of the Hero Video.
• +23% Share of Voice versus the previous year during the campaign launch period.
• +97% increase in positive comments compared to the previous institutional campaign.
• +4.6% lift in ad recall.
• +4.2% lift in brand association.

When GUT Advertising and GUT Marketing Services play on the same team, brands don't just make noise. They make history.

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