No Water, No Peace: A Branding Playbook From The Football Pitch

Forbes

19-05-2025

At the recent Football for Peace 'Rehydrate the Earth' Water Gala in London, leaders from across sport, business, diplomacy, and the football community gathered around a powerful and urgent message: Without water, there is no peace. And football is their strategy for getting to a more united, hydrated and peaceful world.
Among the influential voices present were football legends Paul Pogba, Claude Makélélé, Dimitar Berbatov, and Rachel Yankey, NFL stars Josh Norman and Jason Bell, media personality and manager Harry Redknapp, and power forward Adebayo Akinfenwa. Also in attendance were Children's Parliament Prime Minister Naila Seetal, British Airways CEO Sean Doyle, and African Union Peace Fund CEO Ms. Dagmawit Bekele—all united in raising awareness and resources for peace building through water access.
What struck me most was the deep emotional clarity behind Football for Peace's brand purpose — the celebrity footballers weren't just interested in football or even building pitches, they were interested in building frameworks for youth security, conflict resolution, water security, intercultural understanding, and social cohesion — across all six continents. Their passion for football was a means to an end and the football brand had extended beyond its core competency of sports into championing world peace.
But in an era where many purpose-led brands feel increasingly performative, and others have failed for championing social causes — we all remember Starbucks and their race together debacle — what makes Football for Peace stake its purpose credibly?
Football for Peace isn't just a name—it's a belief system. Born from the conviction that football transcends borders, the brand believes it can also transcend messaging, and leverages the universal language of the sport to foster dialogue and unity in communities fractured by conflict. This unwavering belief isn't a marketing ploy; it's a mission lived daily on pitches from East Africa to divided cities across the UK. Such clarity of purpose isn't just noble—it's strategic. I've spoken at length about a new generation of audience in Generation Z that is savvier than most. Findings from a trend report by Deloitte would agree highlighting that brands with a clear, action-oriented purpose outperform their peers in growth and innovation.
In a world grappling with environmental crises, Football for Peace doesn't just play the game—it attempts to change it. Their recent gala spotlighted the fight for water in certain communities around the world and the need for water rehydration. In doing so, Football For Peace attempted to align the organization's mission with one of today's most pressing humanitarian issues. They made one point crystal clear: peace cannot exist without access to clean water and to me, that insight was both simple and profound. According to McKinsey, brands that engage meaningfully with societal issues become cultural leaders, gaining relevance with audiences who demand substance over spin.
At the water gala, former NFL player Jason Bell spoke powerfully about Colin Kaepernick—the athlete who turned his platform into a tool for racial justice. And for those of you who've read The Kim Kardashian Principle, you would know that the Nike Colin Kapernick campaign was reportedly inspired by the principles of the book. But Bell's reflection was more than admiration, it was a challenge: What are you doing with your influence? Football for Peace has been asking—and answering—that question for over a decade. It refuses to posture and continues to prioritise purpose over polish. And it's a brand strategy that I believe continues to work. Harvard Business Review notes that brands rooted in authentic leadership earn deeper trust and outlast those that posture without principles.
Football for Peace doesn't just organize Peace Matches—it builds bridges. By creating football training sessions and basic football coaching camps for vulnerable youth, the organization redefines what inclusion looks like in real time. These moments are far more than symbolic—they're transformative. I've said it before and I'll say it again, strong brands build lasting emotional connections with audiences. I first came across football for peace over five years ago when I met the charismatic leader Kashif Siddiqi in Italy during my work supporting the United Nations. Few leaders embody the brand principles of the organization as closely as Siddiqui does. And I for one can say I've been hooked on the brand ever since. As the Edelman Trust Barometer confirms, emotional connection is a key predictor of consumer trust. Football for Peace doesn't chase connection—it creates it.
Football for Peace isn't led by marketers—it's led by those who've lived the power of the pitch. Founders like Elias Figueroa, a Chilean football legend, and Kash Siddiqi, a former national team player, understand football not as performance, but as purpose— and maybe that's the brand difference here at the core of its DNA it's a group of people whose lives experience is what gives the organization such rare clarity. Accenture reports that when leadership embodies brand purpose, it becomes contagious—attracting both internal alignment and external loyalty. That's exactly what you feel at Football for Peace: conviction from the top, and commitment across every level.
Football for Peace and other purpose-drive brands remind us that in times of conflict and division, the most effective tool can sometimes be as simple as a game. A football match between ex-FARC combatants and local youth. A football for peace ripple-effect model playing out in communities from Chile to Mozambique. A Peace Match in a divided country where the scoreboard doesn't matter—but solidarity does.
But it's also a much needed glimpse into brands that refuse to stay in their lane: This is what influence can look like when it's rooted in responsibility. Not marketing gloss. Not media spin. Just meaningful, repeatable, human acts of cohesion and dedication.
Do I think we're heading into a brand landscape of purpose-fatigue? We might well do in time. But for the moment, audiences crave access to meaning and Football for Peace shows us what brand purpose can be when it comes from a place of passion, it's built with integrity, lived through action, and shared with emotional intelligence and a deep focus on impact.
No banners. No buzzwords. Just belief. That's what I believe moves people. And that's what I believe will move peace forward.
Named Esquire's Influencer of the Year, Jeetendr Sehdev is a media personality and leading voice in fashion, entertainment, and influence, and author of the New York Times bestselling phenomenon The Kim Kardashian Principle: Why Shameless Sells (and How to Do It Right).