Europe
Features
Welcome to Hell – Under Armour & FC St. Pauli
In summer 2016, for Under Armour’s first St. Pauli kit, supplier and club worked with agency Nordpol on a campaign that spanned social, PR and at-stadium strands and was led by an online film focused on a redesigned players tunnel.
5G Call & Shot of the Night – Oppo & the Fédération Française de Tennis
Chinese smartphone brand Oppo’s campaign around the 2020 French Open spanned online and on-site initiatives to promote the 5G Find X2 Pro handset, primarily targeting young adults.
Blind Match – Suzuki & Torino FC
Suzuki’s 2018-19 activation of its Torino shirt front deal was inspired by the increasing popularity of dating apps.
Back in the Game – Emirates & the Fédération Française de Tennis
Official airline Emirates activated its rights around the delayed 2020 French Open to promote the fact that, post lockdown, its Dubai-Paris flights had restarted.
The e-Open – Mastercard & the R&A
On the weekend that would have hosted the cancelled 2020 Open, Mastercard took presenting partner rights to the final of the R&A’s ‘e-Open’.
Nilox e-mobility brand renews with Juventus for another year
Electric mobility brand Nilox has renewed its sponsorship with Italian Serie A club Juventus for the 2020-21 season
SportQuake creates esports agency to tap sponsorship growth
Football sponsorship agency SportQuake is launching a specialist esports sponsorship agency, Esportquake, to operate across the esports ecosystem
ASB Bank invites SME’s to ‘borrow’ New Zealand Rugby sponsorship
New Zealand-based ASB Bank has elected to donate rights attached to its New Zealand Rugby sponsorship to help 100 small-to-medium-sized businesses
Manchester United to promote Malta in new sponsorship deal
Manchester United has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the Government of Malta and the Malta Tourism Authority that will promote the island nation to the English Premier League club’s global f…
Our Colours, Our Skin – Joma & Villarreal CF
Villarreal CF and technical partner Joma’s July 2020 triple kit launch campaign leveraged lockdown social media creative trends and focused on digital assets to drive online sales.
#SauberesSpiel/#CleanGame – PreZero & TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
In October and November 2019, Hoffenheim naming rights partner PreZero ran an eco-focused activation around the club’s home game against Paderborn to deliver the first carbon-neutral Bundesliga match.
Trophy Tour/Heroes Walk/OMBC/Undeniable – Kia & Uefa
The pandemic forced Uefa Europe League partner Kia Motors to pivot its 2019-20 season marketing programme from in-person initiatives to online experiences.
Answer Time – StormGain & Newcastle United
Crypto trading platform StormGain leveraged its Newcastle United sleeve sponsorship in spring/summer 2020 with a video Q&A series featuring the Premier League club’s biggest stars.
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.
Data Snapshot: Golf 2020
Central sponsors of the PGA Tour and the four golf majors – The Masters, Open Championship, PGA Championship and US Open – aggregated a sponsorship spend of $451m (€384m) in 2020.
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.
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.
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.
Deportivo Alavés – LEA & Deportivo Alavés
In 2018, men’s grooming brand LEA leveraged its partnership with Deportivo Alavés through a national online and print advertising campaign.
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.
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’
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.
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.
The Greatest Championships – IBM & the AELTC
Technology partner IBM helped the AELTC deliver a digital experience to help Wimbledon fans bereft at the Covid-enforced cancellation of the 2020 tournament.
Shared Goals – adidas & Juventus
October/November 2019 saw adidas and Juventus launch the club’s fourth kit via a fashion-meets-football campaign in partnership with Palace Skateboard.