5 billion eyeballs turn to the UEFA Euros

A singular 30-second ad during the Super Bowl costs roughly $7 million USD.

30 seconds of airtime to the 160-something million fans that tune in to America's largest annual sporting event is a chance to become a part of American pop-culture. Agencies and corporate sponsors put all their eggs in one basket for this day.

But ENOUGH about the Super Bowl. Marketers loooove to talk about the Super Bowl.

What about an event with 50 times the audience?

Welcome, ladies and gents, to football.

And no, I don’t mean American Football.

I mean real football, ‘the beautiful game’, or as Americans would say – soccer.

More specifically, the UEFA Euros.

Which amasses around 450 million viewers for the final alone.

Taking place in 10 venues around Germany, the tournament started on June 14th and goes until the 14th of July. And it has generated a significant amount of buzz already.

The UEFA Euros offer a huge opportunity for brands to leverage the fandom whilst capitalising on the gigantic viewership of the much-anticipated tournament.

Because of the widespread interest in the Euros, campaigns centred around the tournament amplify visibility and engagement exponentially.

However, marketing for such an event requires meticulous planning, reactivity, and consumer understanding. Brands participating in the hype of the tournament need to craft content that actually resonates with football aficionados.

Otherwise, they run the risk of missing the mark (/goal posts) completely.

Done right, brands can captivate millions of fans all across Europe (and beyond).

In the lead up to Euro 2024, the marketing landscape becomes increasingly football/fan-centric as brands aim to cultivate a sense of belonging and loyalty.

And some of them campaigns we've seen so far have been absolute bangers.

IRN BRU

The fizzy drink brand has a track record for making funny, tongue-in-cheek ads. These tend to be iconically Scottish, while also taking jabs at stereotypes about the country. IRN BRU ads also often include pop-culture icons.

The brand’s latest campaign centres around Scotland’s excitement over the Euros, exploiting the country's usual pessimism about its chances at big tournaments. Coming from the nation who made a World Cup record called 'Don’t Come Home Too Soon,' you get where they’re going with this.

The ad features a young woman visiting a doctor with unusual symptoms. Her symptoms include excessive smiling, giddiness, and cheering arms. The doctor explains he’s been seeing many cases like hers. In fact, he's infected with the same optimism.

At the end of the ad, we see a waiting room filled with fans from Scotland’s Tartan Army, all needing 'treatment.' The 'treatment' being a ticket to the Scotland vs. Germany game and a can of Irn-Bru.

The commercial is one of three, all with the same theme of 'optimism.'

The authentic Scottish humour in all three does a brilliant job at captivating the collective mindset of football supporters. It also expertly plays into narratives that are central to Scottish fans in particular.

Adidas

What’s more hopeful (and British) than The Beatles' legendary song 'Hey Jude'?

Adidas has captured this feeling of hope in its inspiring new campaign. The ad celebrates the new generation of footballers, focused mainly on Jude Bellingham.

It also features icons such as David Beckham and Frank Lampard. There’s an element of 'passing the torch' to the whole thing that makes it feel very monumental.

It’s meant to portray the nation's hope, driven by a new wave of players aiming for success in Germany this year.

The ad is a masterful combination of an iconic piece of music history and powerful visuals of footballs legends/ rising stars. This pairing creates an emotional response in fans, highlighting optimism, unity, and culture.

British Heart Foundation

I wrote about this powerful campaign recently. Recently, Saatchi & Saatchi crafted 12 murals to commemorate the lives of young football fans taken too soon at the hands of heart disease.

At a time when football fans are celebrating this huge sporting event, the campaign serves as a poignant reminder of the disease that cripples the nation’s youth. And it highlights the importance of heart health.

You can read all about it here.

Hellman’s

The famous mayo brand has positioned themselves as the official BBQ partner of Euro 2024. Hellman's has partnered with footballer Jack Grealish, using his stardom to drive engagement.

They started the campaign early, which left them in an awkward position when the final squad for Euro 2024 was announced… and Jack Grealish hadn’t made the cut.

Not surprisingly, this led to them being ridiculed on social media. Many users tweeted about their unfortunate decision to partner with the footballer.

Although Hellman’s couldn’t have known Grealish would be excluded by the team, they did miss out on the opportunity to embrace the opportunity. This is a prime example of not being reactive or fluid in your campaign.

Unfortunately for Hellman’s, theirs has now fallen flat, with their latest Grealish post receiving just FIVE LIKES on X.

Fans have even suggested they lean into the situation. One gave them the line, 'Sometimes your BBQ is just missing that something special.'

Maybe they should listen… 

Seize the Second Half!

It’s not too late to ride the Euro wave! The tournament is going on right now! So there’s no better time for some reactive marketing to piggyback off the hype train and steal some of the audience.

Stay tuned to fan opinions through platforms like X to keep your ear to the ground.

You don’t even need to know everything about football! Just joining in on the fun can be enough to foster engagement.

What we can learn from these campaigns:

Lean into cultural context and humour. Irn Bru used authentic Scottish humour, staying true to its fan base. So tailor your campaigns to incorporate cultural elements and humour that your target audience will connect to. Because this will make your campaign more memorable.

Use iconic references. You don’t need to hire Beckham for your campaign to reference well-known and powerful iconography. Think about what connects your audience and evokes pride in the community you’re marketing to. Then connect that with your brand.

Be reactive. Hellman’s missed a huge opportunity to adapt their campaign. By staying tuned to real-life events, we can be more prepared to pivot as needed. So engage with current trends and audience sentiments on socials to keep your campaign relevant and dynamic.

-Sophie, Writer