Awesome ads for World Cup (watch videos)

England's Wayne Rooney is one of the game's superstars who appear in Nike's inspirational 3-minute Fifa World Cup ad.

The major advertisers for the Fifa World Cup in South Africa have been releasing their commercials for the tournament - and they're messages that pack quite a punch.

If a single overarching theme could be chosen to represent all the ads, it is the tournament's unifying effect on the planet. For those four weeks, the message goes, the world is as one.

No expense has seemingly been spared in the creation of Nike's advertisement, and the sports goods manufacturer's three-minute epic has made an impact on YouTube, leaving many viewers - to judge by their comments - speechless.

As Nike describes it, "The Write the Future film takes people on a journey that dramatically captures that one moment when headlines are written from a single pass, or one strike can bring a nation eternal happiness, while bringing others to their knees".

Some of the world's best players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Wayne Rooney, Fabio Cannavaro, Franck Ribery, Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Ronaldinho and Landon Donovan are featured. Special guest cameos are even made by tennis legend Roger Federer and NBA basketball superstar Kobe Bryant.

Pepsi's entry in the World Cup marketing field features an array of footballing demi-gods as well: Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Kaka, Frank Lampard, Andrei Arshavin and Didier Drogba.

As they wander casually through a remote African village, a makeshift soccer game is hastily arranged against the local lads. With active participation from the villagers, the result is never in doubt - a 1-nil victory to the home side.

The message of anticipation, fun and participation sweeps through the commercial, and is impossible to ignore.

In other words, even though only one team can hold the trophy aloft in Johannesburg on July 11, when the eyes of the world are focused on something as positive and uplifting as the Great Game, everyone wins.

* See links at right for other Fifa World Cup commercials