To the disappointment of many football fans around the world, the UEFA Euros 2020 was delayed due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic made it impossible for the organisers to host the tournament whose games were supposed to take place in eleven different countries, in a safe manner.
However, despite an infuriating delay, the UEFA Euros is finally underway and has brought along with it a plethora of ads by brands and sponsors looking to entice the enormous football fanbase. We saw some of the most creative ads from official sponsors of the league such as Heineken, Qatar Airways, Takeaway and others. Here are some of the best ones so far.
1. Heineken -The Hall of Fame
Heineken’s ‘The Hall of Fame’ video celebrates the long-standing rivalry between the football teams of England and Wales. Heineken, who is the official partner of the UEFA Euros 2020, got Welsh legend Robbie Savage to play a hilarious prank on former rival Rio Ferdinand who played for England.
We see Robbie Savage trick Ferdinand into believing that he is being inducted into Heineken’s prestigious ‘Hall of Fame’. The Hall of Fame is supposed to feature portraits of iconic football players from around the globe. However, when Ferdinand goes to take a look at it, he’s taken aback by a specific detail. All this while, we see Robbie Savage who orchestrated the prank, laughing in the green room.
2. Qatar Airways – True Fans Have No Borders
This brilliant advert comes from the creative team of Eavan Ryan and director Tom Stevens. Qatar Airways is celebrating the beautiful game by showing football fans and the airline staff as they play a game of football before boarding the plane and heading on to their destination.
3. Just Eat – The Jet Food Delivery by McCann
Just Eat is an online food order and delivery service headquartered in the United Kingdom. The ad was created by Jack Stoten and Connor Wynn, and was directed by Pedro Martín-Calero of Blink Productions and is set to DJ Shadow’s Rocket Fuel. The campaign marked the countdown to Euro 2020 by hiring the legendary Eric Cantona from Manchester United and is McCann’s first work for the brand since it retained the creative account in March.
4. BBC: Our Wait Is Over by BBC Creative
In light of the absence of sports in the past year, the BBC wants to let football fans of England, Scotland and Wales know that it will be providing 24/7 coverage of the Euros on radio, TV and online.
This campaign was developed by BBC Creative, and focuses on the notion that people have been waiting for the beloved Euros tournament for quite some time. BBC wants to convey this notion across various media channels, ranging from a cartoon about the ‘Our Wait is Over’ campaign to an OOH campaign tailored to each nation’s ardent football fanbase.
5. Heineken – Finally Together
The Heineken brand is urging football fans to ‘Enjoy The Rivalry’ ahead of this summer’s international tournament. It encourages fans to incorporate Heineken into their big match rituals while embracing the enthusiasm and intense passion that comes from watching a tournament such as the Euros.
