Man at the pub with a pint looking tense

Sky Bet Explores Football Fans' 'Tournament Toil' ahead of the Euros

The campaign, created by Grey London, examines the complex range of emotions fans feel during international tournaments

By Emma Vernon

04 June 2024

Sky Bet has kicked off its latest campaign with Grey London ahead of the Euros - 'Tournament Turmoil.' Building on brand's recently launched positioning 'For the Fans', the campaign takes a deeper look, beyond club football, at how fans really feel during an international tournament like the Euros. At a time when most brands follow the cliche of international tournaments; pure elation, togetherness and fake celebrations, Sky Bet recognises the inner conflicts fans feel when domestic allegiances vanish. In this unique month, supporting your nation creates all sorts of turmoil - your loyalties are a mess, and you face constant dilemmas. Spurs supporters have to cheer on Arsenal players. Man United supporters fear players they usually declare their undying love for. Grey London aimed to acknowledge that complexity and offer something to fans to help them navigate it.

Coral Cranmer, marketing director Sky Bet, said: "We are so excited to launch our Tournament Turmoil campaign. It really gets to the heart of what fans go through during the Euros. By showing the real emotions and mixed loyalties that come up, we’re celebrating the true passion of international fandom and showing that we really get what it's like to be a fan. We're proud of this work with Grey London and can't wait to see how it resonates with everyone during this incredible tournament.”

The campaign launched with 'Trim' - the first ad of its series - highlighting a fan's inner dialogue and the conflicting emotions experienced during this time of year. Despite the dilemmas, lifelong rivalries, and newfound dislike for players they usually admire, supporting their nation in the Euros feels profoundly right and worth all the turmoil. The second ad, ‘Dad’s Dad’ will launch later this month.

David Wigglesworth, Grey London executive creative director, added: “While many brands will ride the wave of international tournaments clichés, with our partners Sky Bet we wanted to celebrate the genuine inner conflict fans face when domestic loyalties fade away. To be 'For the Fans' it felt important to embrace the light hearted humour of it all. “Trim” captures one such fan's inner turmoil and emotional conflict during the Euros, making the inevitable support for their nation resonate deeply despite the dilemmas.”

Both the ’Trim’ and ‘Dad’s Dad’ ads form part of Sky Bet’s wider multi-channel campaign, celebrating all of the unique behaviours and emotions of football fans. Beyond the two ads outlining fans ‘Tournament Turmoil’ there will also be an array of offers and experiences for Sky Bet customers. This includes Daily Shootout, which is back every day of the tournament on the Sky Bet app, and the three fan zones around the country. Sky Bet is aiming to make the fan experience even better throughout this year's Euros.