UEFA partners are “bolstering their Euro 2012 sponsorship activity with a flurry of tactical advertising campaigns in a bid to tap into the growing excitement around the tournament,” according to Sebastian Joseph of MARKETING WEEK. adidas is launching a new portal on photo blogging site Tumblr that "lets fans listen to podcasts as well as view pictures and videos" that feature adidas sponsored teams and players such as FC Barcelona F Lionel Messi, Real Madrid MF Xabi Alonso and G Iker Casillas of La Liga, as well as MLS Galaxy MF David Beckham. adidas Global Soccer Marketing Dir Tom Ramsden said that the tie-up "is a ‘significant’ step for the brand’s efforts to appeal to 14-19 year olds.” The move comes as other sponsors such as Carlsberg and Castrol “ramp up their social media activity around the tournament to avoid [being] overshadowed by their Olympic counterparts.” Dutch telecom firm Orange is launching two free apps and is “using the tournament to launch its first pan-European sponsorship across markets including Spain, Poland, France, the UK [and] Slovakia.” McDonald’s is using the start of the tournament "to launch its new football-themed Championship Menu.” The promotion will “run alongside a European digital campaign that asks fans to demonstrate their passion for the game” (MARKETINGWEEK.co.uk, 6/7).
TAKING A LOOK: The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's Scott Roxborough examines some of the ads, noting Euro 2012's "captive audience is the equivalent of a month of Superbowl Sundays." Nike is not an official sponsor of the tournament, "but that hasn’t stopped the sneaker giant from pulling out all the stops for its new My Time Is Now spot." The ad features a "who’s who of Euro soccer stars, including Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands and France’s Franck Ribery," and also includes a cameo from Heat F LeBron James. Carlsberg "plays to English supporters" in its spot. The Carlsberg’s Fan Academy is "run by British broadcasting legend Des Lynam and the clip features some of the country’s biggest sporting names." Coke "scores an own goal" for its ad, which is an "uncomfortable mash-up of superhero imagery" (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 6/8).
TURBO CHARGED: MARKETING WEEK's Alex Brownsell notes Audi is "set to debut its latest TV ad campaign, promoting its new A6 Bi Turbo model," during Monday's England-France match on ITV1. The Bartle Bogle Hegarty-created ad "focuses on the vehicle's ability to make up to 2,000 decisions per second to assist the driver." Audi UK Head of Marketing Dominic Chambers said, "The film shows off the car's beauty and grace, illustrates its performance and demonstrates its leading-edge technologies" (MARKETINGWEEK.co.uk, 6/8).
RACISM CONCERNS: MARKETING WEEK's John Reynolds notes Euro 2012 sponsors are "on red alert as they seek to avoid any association of their brands with reported cases of racism in the Ukraine during the football championships." Sports marketing agency brand Rapport Dir Nigel Currie said, "This is obviously a concern for brands. It goes without saying they don't want any sort of controversy or nastiness, or anything that detracts from the game." A source said that while there is "no indication" that UEFA sponsors are "pulling back on activity because of the threat, there is a sense that the tournament has been overshadowed by the Olympics and the Queen's Jubilee, which has meant brands have found it difficult to get standout" (MARKETINGWEEK.co.uk, 6/8).
