Euros 2024: How Brands Are Giving Fans Their Kicks 

After much fanfare and anticipation, Euro 2024 has begun. And for the next few weeks, there will be many cheers, beers, tears and VAR fears to come.

In 2021, when we all had to book our places down the pub, a whopping 5.23 billion people tuned-in to watch the biggest national teams in Europe compete against each other. The England vs Italy final was also watched by 328 million fans, breaking records in both of the teams’ countries. And while England will be looking to make amends this year - and Scotland will be vying to win every group-stage game - the world’s largest advertisers will also be trying to score as many goals as they can in the game of attention. 

Brands Breaking Through

Like a 10-man defensive wall, the marketplace for brands will be “extremely cluttered” says Tom Whiteside, the group head of sponsorship at Aviva, not to mention “narrow activation windows, inflated media costs and the unpredictable nature of sport”.

The list of official tournament and participating home nation sponsors is also extensive but for every one official sponsor, there are dozens more that will seek to contextually ambush. Whiteside adds: “A study by retail sales consultancy Sellex has found that there is only a minimal difference in consumer recognition between official Euro 2024 sponsors and non-sponsors, so sponsors are having to work hard to maximise their investment in IP.”

For brands to have the best chance of success in lifting the effectiveness trophy they will have to "plan for all footballing scenarios, both successful and unsuccessful, be authentic and unique, add genuine utility to the fan experience, use bold strategies like humour for cut-through, leverage every touchpoint, and reach fans by working with trusted media partners," says Whiteside.

A strong lineup of brands have already attempted to achieve these goals, releasing a flurry of campaigns that all share common themes. All the ads of course have sought to play into the anticipation and buzz surrounding the tournament. One such brand, Betfair, released a trick-shot filled ad to break through the noise with flair and prepared by repositioning its brand before the Euros, a cumulation of over 18 months of work with creative agency partner Pablo.

Richard Hayward, the managing director of the betting firm, admitted that the brand must punch above its weight by acting uniquely with its new brand platform ‘Play Different’. It is promoting a range of new and existing offers such as its ‘Exchange’, sportsbook, free acca and ‘Bet Builder’.

“The Euros is one of the most thrilling times for any sports fan, filled with hope, anticipation, and dreams,” Hayward adds. “But we’re facing a distracted and disinterested audience. Amidst the pub garden, snacks, and lively conversations, our challenge is to capture the attention of fans who are there primarily for football, not our ads. When they do turn their attention to advertisements, we’re not only competing against other betting companies but also against brands with far larger budgets, all vying for the same audience.”

Irish bookie Paddy Power also whipped in an ad to the Euros box, instead choosing to focus on national pride and humour, like many of the other brands released campaigns this summer. East End ‘ard nut Danny Dyer led a BBH-created spot that poked fun at England’s own sense of Englishness - like Brits abroad dropping the line “Egg and chips por favor please mate,” - or constantly claiming that “it’s coming home” (which it is). The ad also had the French, German, Spanish and Scottish highlighting their ‘friendly’ sporting rivalries and England’s humbleness in claiming that the nation is “everyone’s favourite” this Euros.

Like Paddy Power, TalkSport and WPP-backed agency Pulse Creative also poked fun at rival nations, taking a friendly dig at the Germans by alluding to the famous trope about Germans and sun loungers.

To add to the numerous betting firms trying to bag consumer wins, Sky Bet similarly played with humour and national pride, exploring the nuances of fan behaviour in its ‘Tournament Turmoil’ campaign. Created by Grey London, the ad gets to the root of the inner conflicts national fans feel when domestic allegiances vanish.

Global drinks-maker Coca-Cola has also cracked open the can of national fan engagement, seeking to tap into key moments of connection during the tournament with a slice of humour. Drawing on real human insights and the topic of rituals, the brand’s ‘#TheRitualCup’ - developed by WPP Open X, led by David Madrid and supported by Design Bridge & Partners, VML, Ogilvy and EssenceMediacom - acknowledges the effort, and sacrifices, that belief can require from fans. It connects with the research that 69 per cent of European fans perform a ritual when watching football matches. The resulting funny and slightly absurd ads feed directly into Coca-Cola’s ‘Believing is Magic’ platform.

For John Seiler, senior director Epics Activations at The Coca-Cola Company, it’s all about building emotional relevance with consumers by making them feel something. “Football is one of the most emotive sports to watch, so reaching consumers during these moments helps us build brand connection that extends beyond consumption, driving fan engagement by thinking of experiences they really want,” Seiler adds.

In this vein, fans around the world can participate in the brand’s ‘Believerboard’ quiz for a chance to appear on the UEFA ‘Welcome Wall’, which will see fans virtually greet their team as they enter the stadium. 

“With our campaigns and activations we have to shape memorable occasions and give consumers access to unique experiences that ‘only Coke can do’,” Seiler says. “Importantly, this is the consumer’s space, so it’s about what brands can do to elevate their experiences and deliver real value to them, rather than thinking brand-first. Consumers don’t experience their passions as monolithic ‘verticals’, it’s much more blended than that, and it’s on us to speak their language.”

And what better way to speak the language of the football fan than by attempting to make them laugh. Snickers and T&Pm teamed up with Croatia and England football superstars Luka Modrić and Bukayo Saka to help fans steer clear of embarrassing ‘own goals’.

With their tongue-in-cheek ‘Beyond Techspectations’ campaign, Currys and AMV BBDO also showcased the lengths its experts go to to avoid football distractions, while assisting customers in choosing the perfect TV for a nail-biting summer of sport.

Subbing off humour, but still playing into national pride, behemoth AB InBev brand Budweiser has released a spiritual campaign with Revolt that will give all English fans goosebumps. The last living winner of the 1966 World Cup Sir Geoff Hurst has ‘blessed’ 12 million cans of Budweiser renamed ‘Home’ which are also inscribed with a message from the great man. Many fans are sure to be delighted with the shot of Sir Hurst being reunited with the iconic shirt he wore when he scored his historic hat-trick in the 1966 final.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Saatchi & Saatchi also tapped into nationwide pride by putting a spin on the fan chant ‘Till I Die’. The poignant campaign, ‘Til I Died’, commemorates the lives of 12 young football fans whose lives were tragically ended by heart disease. The work not only emphasises the critical need for heart research funding but is also built on the insight that the nation is largely unaware of the devastating effect heart disease has on young people.

Footballers taking centre stage

It comes as no surprise that footballer cameos have also been a well-played theme in the Euros ads - and one man in particular has stolen the limelight - the 20-year-old Champion League-winning man-of-the-hour; Jude Bellingham. For Adidas, the 'You Got This' campaign saw the Real Madrid player collaborate with the likes of Lionel Messi, David Beckham and Ousmane Dembélé to address the impact pressure can have on the beautiful game and most importantly young players.

Andy Jex, the chief creative officer at TBWA/London behind the Adidas ad, cited the statistic that 70 per cent of children quit playing football by the age of 13.

“While elite athletes thrive on pressure, it can be a barrier for everyday people. Many avoid activities because they feel they're not good enough, and this pressure prevents them from achieving their potential. Our goal was to inspire and help people understand that pressure shouldn't stop them from being their best. The campaign, which is part of a three-year platform, aims to resonate with these experiences, showing that while pressures differ, they are relevant to all of us.”

An additional Adidas and Bellingham tie-up titled ‘Hey Jude’ - which plays on another football chant - embodies the nation’s sense of hope, brought about by a new generation of players who are looking to find success in Germany this summer.

The Birmingham-born star also brought the energy to younger audiences by featuring in a Lucozade campaign created by adam&eveDDB. The brand’s new brand platform ‘Bring the Energy’ aims to show how the brand can help people “rise to the challenge and move with energy in the moments that matter to them”.

Capitalising on social

All of these big-budget brand-building campaigns will run across the many channels that exist throughout the Euros, but one additional medium brands will undoubtedly be looking to score points with is social media.

Speaking to the fans where they are is key, according to Coca-Cola’s Seiler. “Social media is going to be heavily used throughout the highs and lows of the tournament and brands can capitalise on this by tapping into these conversations. We must be flexible and leverage real-time marketing and reactive content creation.”

Betfair’s Hayward agrees that the marketing cannot end when the tournament starts. He says: “We will deliver timely and relevant content to stay at the forefront of fans' minds, ensuring that by being agile and responsive we can become an integral part of the Euros experience and foster sustained engagement and brand loyalty.”

All of these brands will be planning on playing through until the final whistle is blown to maximise the start of what is doubtless going to be a busy summer of sport for them all.