These EURO 2024 marketing campaigns hit the back of the net
This year’s European soccer championships were a great backdrop for marketers. From out-of-home advertising to digital strategies, brands cleverly captured the attention of fans. We take a closer look at the most creative campaigns.
Interactive and innovative: out-of-home marketing during UEFA EURO 2024
Whether in Berlin Central Station, Stuttgart city center, or Munich’s Allianz Arena – soccer-related advertising was everywhere during this year’s European soccer championships. Certain OOH campaigns were particularly attention-grabbing:
Vodafone’s advertising pillars generated a strong reception in the stadiums
Live streaming and sharing images in real time from a full soccer stadium were no problem at all during the tournament thanks to Vodafone. By turning an impressive 100 advertising pillars into 5G antennas, the company provided soccer spectators with a stable cellular network in the stadiums and fan zones.
Deutsche Telekom: real-time EURO goals on public video screens
Deutsche Telekom, which had the rights to broadcast EURO games live on MagentaTV , promised “You can’t get any more soccer than this”. The company joined forces with Ströer to show highlight clips of EURO goals on more than 5,500 public video screens and about 2,000 displays in Telekom stores – as close to real time as you could get. These AI-generated 20-second clips were played no later than three minutes after a goal and replayed four times, allowing everyone to follow the best parts of each EURO match – whether at a train station, shopping mall, or subway platform.
adidas: EURO euphoria in XXL
adidas, the German national team’s current soccer kit supplier, used supersized OOH installations for its EURO 2024 campaign “You got this” to show how marketing is done by a big player. As part of the campaign, people walking through the tunnel of Munich’s Odeonsplatz square were greeted with the open arms of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, whose enlarged image covered the tunnel ceiling. A giant Toni Kroos towered over the Olympic Park wearing the team’s pink away jersey. And in Berlin, the famous Molecule Man sculptures designed by Jonathan Borofsky were fitted out in huge German jerseys.
EIS.de: double-entendre message to the German national team
EIS.de, Germany’s leading online store for intimate lifestyle products, caused a sensation with its sassy EURO 2024 campaign. With provocative slogans like “It doesn’t matter how far you come, as long as you come”, the company’s advertising was aimed directly at the German national team and its fans. The messages were displayed in busy areas of Berlin, such as the Olympic Stadium and Central Station, and contained a QR code that passersby could scan for exclusive product bundles.
Pringles: a EURO 2024 campaign designed with the help of soccer fans
As part of this year’s European soccer championships, Pringles not only released a limited edition of its potato chips, but it also launched a real-time “fanvertising” campaign. This saw fans voting for the flag they wanted to see in Pringles ads – either by scanning a QR code displayed in about 1,500 digital ad spaces or by casting their vote on social media. Special codes printed on limited edition cans gave votes a tenfold boost.
Best cases of EURO 2024 digital marketing
During EURO 2024, a number of creative digital campaigns were launched, which got fans involved on an interactive level and generated maximum attention and enthusiasm by leveraging innovative approaches and real-time engagement.
TikTok: DFB partnership at the heart of a 360-degree campaign
TikTok kicked off a multimedia campaign for EURO 2024 using the slogan “It starts with TikTok”. As part of this, five ads demonstrated how users find inspiration on the platform – with a focus on its search feature, which makes TikTok a competitor for Google. The clips told stories of ordinary protagonists who discovered new ideas from TikTok videos – whether soccer drills, recipes, or music tips. By incorporating the hashtag #DFBTeam and DOOH placements, such as 3D animations in Stuttgart, TikTok highlighted its partnership with the DFB, Germany’s national soccer association, and shone a spotlight on this year’s tournament.
Deutsche Bahn: connecting gamification and soccer nostalgia
After 14 years, Deutsche Bahn relaunched its Fan BahnCard 25 for EURO 2024 – this time with an exciting gamification element in the form of the following bet: if Germany became the European champion, it would extend the Fan BahnCard for a year for free. The goal of the campaign was to attract new customers and make traveling by train more appealing. In collaboration with Ogilvy, a TV campaign was also developed to evoke memories of the “Miracle of Bern” in 1954 and create the same high spirits for this year’s tournament taking place on home soil.
EnBW: becoming team coach in seconds thanks to AI
EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG made it possible for fans to be part of the EURO 2024 action as an AI-powered coach. On the company’s campaign page, soccer enthusiasts could use artificial intelligence to create and share their very own formation and tactics for the German national team. By uploading a selfie of themselves, fans were also visibly transformed into AI-generated national coaches in a matter of seconds and were able to share their new look with others.
Inspiring cross-media EURO 2024 campaigns
Of course, EURO 2024 wasn’t short of extensive cross-media campaigns that seamlessly combined various channels. From out-of-home advertising and TV ads to social media and interactive online activities – the following brands created a thrilling experience for fans by running their campaigns across all channels.
Erdinger: using nostalgia to evoke soccer emotions
In celebration of the European soccer championships taking place on home soil, Erdinger launched a “summer fairytale” campaign to relive the atmosphere experienced when Germany hosted the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The campaign delivered impressive POS displays, including VW campervans turned into Erdinger breweries decorated with items evocative of summer. A moving image campaign was shown on in-store screens, complemented by TV, out-of-home, in-store radio, and radio sponsorships.
IKEA: furniture made to withstand the liveliest of EURO celebrations
IKEA’s EURO 2024 campaign “Ready for watching the Euros at home” highlighted how indestructible its furniture is against the emotional outbursts of fans. The amusing ad created by thjnk depicts ecstatic celebrations, angry reactions, and tears of joy in slow motion, all while sofas, tables, and cushions remain unscathed. The campaign – a celebration of the culture of fans watching from home – was delivered using DOOH measures, online ads, and moving image formats on TV and social media.
Wolt: EURO 2024 campaign with clever food analogies
Nobody has time to cook during a tense EURO match. Wolt, the Helsinki-based food delivery service, saw this as an opportunity to run a creative campaign. The company targeted public screening fans using tongue-in-cheek soccer analogies like “Food Bowl’s Coming Home” and “Public Chewing”. Until the final whistle of the tournament, giant posters could be seen hanging at the train stations of match venues, boosted by reactive DOOH placements, digital campaigns, social media, radio ads, in-app promotions, and flyers.
Special EURO 2024 marketing highlight: the CHECK24 jersey
The CHECK24 jersey was nearly everywhere you looked during this year’s tournament. By running an ingenious campaign in which fans received free jerseys for participating in the CHECK24 betting challenge, the price comparison site was able to massively boost its market presence. To register for the challenge, participants had to install the CHECK24 app, which led to a significant increase in the platform’s number of users. Despite initial difficulties in terms of jersey availability, the high quality of the garments proved to be a real winner. The campaign was enhanced by the power of social media – especially TikTok, where thousands of fans posted videos.
Creative EURO 2024 marketing: how brands won over fans
The 2024 European soccer championships provided an ideal platform for innovative marketing campaigns combining out-of-home, digital, and cross-media strategies. Brands like Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, and Pringles delivered unique OOH installations and real-time content to arouse the interest of fans. adidas and EIS.de implemented striking and provocative campaigns, using the event to their advantage to reach a big audience. TikTok dominated the digital space with its 360-degree campaign, while Deutsche Bahn and EnBW got fans involved on an interactive level using creative measures such as gamification and AI. Erdinger, IKEA, and Wolt offered cross-media highlights by seamlessly linking various channels to create a thrilling fan experience. CHECK24 ’s campaign, which stood out with its free jerseys and was enhanced by social media, was another prime example of successful EURO 2024 marketing. All these campaigns impressively show the many creative ways in which EURO 2024 marketing wowed soccer fans and effectively captured their attention for maximum results.
