Football
Unreal Fans of Kashmir – Adidas & Real Kashmir FC
Through India’s 2019-20 I-League season, Real Kashmir FC and kit partner Adidas rolled out an influencer-led campaign to boost second team support for the club (which had to play all its matches away from home due to security issues in Kashmir).
Project Stand Red: Bob Paisley – Standard Chartered & Liverpool FC
To celebrate what would have been Bob Paisley’s 100th birthday year, Standard Chartered updated its Stand Red campaign for 2019-20 by using modern tech to connect fans with the legendary manager.
Best Seat in the House – Experience Kissimmee & West Ham Utd
As Covid-19 struck the UK, West Ham and its Official Destination Partner created a branded virtual activation that brought contest winners and club legends together to watch home Premier League matches.
Food Freedom – Deliveroo & Leeds United FC
Through the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, Deliveroo teamed up with Leeds United to increase the volume of restaurant partnerships within the greater Leeds area and drive mass market awareness amongst English football fans.
Thailand Smiles with You – King Power & Leicester FC
After Covid-19 brought global travel to a standstill in 2020, Thai travel retailer King Power showed its support for Thai tourism by leveraging its Leicester City jersey sponsorship.
We Create History – adidas & the Swedish Football Association
Ahead of the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup, adidas launched its new Sweden shirt with an initiative that saw back-of-shirt numbers replaced by images of female role models.
Two Things at Once – eToro & six Premier League clubs
In 2020-21, eToro leveraged its multiple European club soccer sponsorships to build brand awareness and promote its CopyTrader function.
A, O & B – Wiko & SD Eibar
In Q1 2016, smartphone brand Wiko supported SD Eibar in a community health campaign that saw the letters corresponding to the main blood types removed from the players’ shirts.
Data Snapshot: European Leagues 2020-21
In 2020-21 – a season likely to play out largely behind closed doors – Europe’s top four football leagues held sponsorship agreements of about €315m ($383m) in contract value.
Matchworn – Intersport & TSG Hoffenheim
In early 2019, retailer Intersport activated its partnership with Bundesliga side Hoffenheim through an initiative that auctioned player-worn kit to raise funds for children’s charity SOS-Kinderdorf.
We Drive Football – Volkswagen & the Deutscher Fußball-Bund/Uefa and more
Through 2019 and 2020, Volkswagen leveraged its football partnerships – led by its official mobility partnership with the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB) – through a centralised European content hub called ‘We Drive Football’.
Data Snapshot: European FAs 2020-21
Europe’s most powerful football associations – of England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – hold sponsorship portfolios worth about €392.6m ($472.6m) in the 2020-21 season.
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We Connect for Good – BT & The FA/FAW/SFA/IFA
BT abruptly pivoted its activations to digital after the pandemic struck just a month after it launched a new, five-year ‘4-3-3’ Home Nations soccer sponsorship strategy in February 2020.
Ningún Hogar Sin Alimentos/No Home Without Food – CaixaBank & LaLiga clubs
In April 2020, eleven Spanish football clubs joined sponsor CaixaBank’s cause campaign, supporting food banks to meet the rising need during the Covid-19 lockdown crisis.
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.
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.
Memotraits – Rakbank & FC Barcelona
Early in 2020, ‘Memotraits’ leveraged Rakbank’s rights in the UAE as a FC Barcelona regional partner by turning local Barca fan football memories into physical art.