Activations
Swing – Grant Thornton & the PGA Tour/The Players Championship
Grant Thornton leveraged its rights at the 2020 Players Championship with a Rickie Fowler-fronted ad campaign.
Priceless Wave – Mastercard & Uefa
For the 2020 Champions League’s return in August, Uefa partner Mastercard created a best practice example of how sponsors could switch physical experiences for virtual activations amid the pandemic.
No Fuss. Football as It Should Be – Nike & VfL Bochum
Bochum and Nike’s campaign promoting the club's 2020-21 jersey led to tripling the previous season’s shirt sales and generating record revenue even without fans in the stadium or the physical club shop.
The Match II – Cisco & Turner Sports
In May 2020, Cisco stepped in as a ‘content integration’ partner of ‘The Match: Champions for Charity’, the blockbuster live golf matchplay event featuring Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning.
No Stadium. No Problem – Hotels.com & Uefa
For the final stages of the 2020 Uefa Champions League, with matches played behind closed doors after the tournament’s pandemic-enforced shutdown, Hotels.com activated around the idea of watching the match from somewhere special.
One Nation, One Jersey (One Beer) – Castle Lager & the South African Football Association/SA Rugby/Cricket South Africa
In March 2019, Castle Lager leveraged its trio of South African national team sponsorships with a campaign revolving around a blended national team jersey, with live events, experiences, TV and social content and on-pack work.
Product of Our Earth – Adidas & CA Osasuna
Ahead of the 2020-21 season, CA Osasuna and kit supplier adidas rolled out an integrated online campaign promoting a trio of new centennial kits focusing on the local region, its land and symbols.
Netball v Football Exhibition Match – Telkom & Netball South Africa
To promote its new title sponsorship of South Africa’s Netball League in 2019, Telkom set out to grow support, attendance and awareness through an event-based campaign.
Patterns of Play – SAP & the WTA
In the second half of 2019, WTA official global partner SAP ran an activation showcasing how its technology supports the game via a virtual tennis presentation with animated infographics.
#MeriTeamMeriLeague – Yes Bank & the Indian Premier League
To leverage its 2019 IPL sponsorship, Yes Bank created an activation programme aimed at Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
Ready for Leeds – adidas & Leeds United FC
Taking over as kit supplier in 2020-21, adidas brought Leeds United into its pandemic-influenced, global ‘Ready for Sport’ brand platform when unveiling the new kit in mid-August 2020.
Romeo y Julio. Football, Passion and Love – Uber & Sevilla/Real Betis
Uber leveraged its partnerships with the two Seville football clubs with a digital video-led campaign that promoted respect in the rivalry around the April 2019 derby.
Your Logo Here – AmBev & the Brazilian Football Federation
AB InBev subsidiary Ambev promoted its Guaraná Antarctica drink in Brazil via an April 2019 campaign leveraging its sponsorship of the Brazilian women’s football team.
Santander Media House – Santander & Uefa
Uefa partner Santander brought the excitement of the 2020 Champions League Final in Lisbon to the world through an enhanced edition of its ‘Santander Media House’
Loudest Cheer Trophy Tour – Aeroflot & Fiba
To leverage its sponsorship of the 2019 Fiba Basketball World Cup in China, Aeroflot activated its status as presenting partner of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Trophy Tour via a multi-strand campaign that included a collective video, app, social, pop-ups and a ticket contest.
Ready for Family, Ready for Union – Adidas & FC Union Berlin
At the start of the 2020-21 Bundesliga, FC Union Berlin and technical partner adidas rolled out a family-focused digital campaign to promote the club’s new shirt.
Superhéroes – Audi & Real Madrid
In January 2020, Real Madrid sponsor Audi celebrated the team’s Spanish Super Cup victory with a digital campaign presenting the players as superheroes and promoting the new Audi R8 Decennium.
#Hockeyville 2020 (Canada) – Kraft & the NHL/NHLPA
Kraft’s Hockeyville is an annual search for the most passionate hockey community, with the winners hosting an NHL pre-season game and getting $150,000 in local rink upgrades.
Official Timekeeper – Rolex & the US Golf Association
For the delayed 2020 US Open, long-time sponsor Rolex activated through a testimony-led campaign centred on its 40-year relationship with the tournament.
5G Stadium Experience – Verizon & NFL
At 2020’s Super Bowl LIV in Miami, NFL telecoms partner Verizon showcased the capability of 5G with an immersive experience.
Read Now | North America 2020 Activation Casebook
The North America Activation Casebook is a round up of the best and most innovative sponsorship activation campaigns from the US & Canada in the past 12 months. Read it now
Herritik Sortu Zinalako/Born of the People – New Balance & Athletic Club Bilbao
New Balance and Athletic Bilbao sought to drive pre-orders of the 2020-21 home kit with a campaign solidifying the connection between the team, the kit and the fans.
Solidarity Sneakers – Timpers & Levante UD
In June 2020, Levante and Timpers launched a range of sneakers to raised disability awareness and generate funds for the club’s foundation.
#Canucks50 Mobile Scavenger Hunt – Tim Hortons & the Vancouver Canucks
To celebrate the start of the Vancouver Canucks’ 50th season in 2019-20, the team linked up with coffee and donut chain Tim Hortons as presenting partner of a pre-season scavenger hunt.