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BBC, Heineken, Adidas, ITV: what’s your favorite Euros ad?

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By Imogen Watson, Senior reporter

June 11, 2021 | 10 min read

After a frustrating delay the Uefa Euros 2020 is finally here. From the BBC to Snickers, Adidas to ITV, thanks to brands, sponsors and broadcasters hyping up footie fans, people across Europe are raring to go. Before the first match kicks off in Rome, The Drum has rounded up the best Euros ads so far.

As the English, Scottish and Welsh national football teams prepare for the start of the Euros, the BBC got busy stirring up some friendly rivalry

The BBC celebrates the English, Scottish and Welsh national football teams preparing for the start of the Euros

The biggest struggle the Uefa Euros 2020 was supposed to face was how to pull off a tournament with games in 11 countries. Then came the pandemic and the tournament went into extra time, but it felt like a penalty. They thought it was all over, but it is... now.

As the first of this summer’s major sporting events kicks off, brands and sponsors have been working hard to get footie fans back in the game.

It’s no secret that tensions between the UK home nations have been heating up, alongside its relationship with the rest of Europe following Brexit. Brands like Adidas, Carlsberg and Paddy Power have played into this, toying with local rivalries. And what happens when your brand awkwardly sponsors two competing sides? Snickers finds out with ‘Bothlands’, which brings players from England and Scotland begrudgingly together.

Meanwhile, Deliveroo has created a football ode to takeaway with ‘Football ’Til We Dine’ and Coca-Cola has England captain Harry Kane selling... canes. Naturally, Euros ads are always a big part of the tournament, so The Drum rounds up the best ones so far.

Snickers: Bothlands

A potential conflict of interest for its marketing team, this Euros Snickers is the brand sponsor of both England and Scotland.

Seeking to rise above the age-old rivalry between Scotland and England’s football teams, it has brought out a tongue-in-cheek campaign in the form of ‘Bothlands’. This brings players from both teams together, begrudgingly setting aside their differences for a show of staged blue-and-white unity while shaking their heads and staring at the turf in front of baying fans.

Adidas: It’s Coming Hame

Every time that England plays in a tournament, be it the World Cup or Euros, it would be hard put to miss a chorus of ‘Football’s Coming Home’ – a song sung with bravado by every red-and-white fan with an inkling of hope that maybe, just this once, England would bring home a trophy.

This is why the Adidas billboard that has cropped up in Glasgow was so provocative when the brand unapologetically spray-painted out the ‘home’ and replaced it with the Scots word ‘hame’ – poking fun at the famous song.

Adidas

BBC: Our Wait Is Over by BBC Creative

After a disappointing lack of sport over the past year, the BBC wants football fans of England, Scotland and Wales to know that it is the destination for 24/7 Euros coverage across TV, radio and online.

Created by BBC Creative, its push centers around the insight that people have been waiting a long time for this tournament. It has executed this notion across a variety of media, from an animated ‘Our Wait is Over’ cartoon to an OOH campaign tailored to each contending nation’s fanbase, to get the UK’s football fever going.

BBC Creative

ITV: The Good Times Start Here by ITV Creative

ITV Creative is restoring some color to a drab world courtesy of football legend-turned-pundit Ian Wright, who is on a pied-piper-like mission to draw people out of their homes and on to the football pitch.

The in-house agency is working to build anticipation for its coverage of the delayed Euro 2020 campaign.

Paddy Power: #SaveOurGame

In a move no one could have predicted, Paddy Power is urging the Irish to support... England. But it’s all for a good cause, of course, as it will donate at least €10,000 to Irish football for every England goal, so the patriotic campaign gives football fans on both sides of the Irish Sea something to cheer about.

Leveraging its largesse to bring Irish fans on-side, Paddy Power has also pledged a €20,000 ‘backstabber bonus’ for any time Irish players Jack Grealish or Declan Rice trouble the back of an England opponent’s net.

Come on you boys

Paddy Power has kicked off efforts with its ‘Switch for Better’ campaign, fronted by Peter Crouch. In the TV ad, the former England striker shows off his German skills and gets called a ‘beanpole’ by an unhappy football fan.

Heineken: The Hall of Fame

As the official Uefa Euros 2020 partner, Heineken celebrates the impending clash between Wales and England. It has teamed up with Welsh legend Robbie Savage for a mischievous set-up on friend and former rival on the pitch Rio Ferdinand.

The men, once arch-rivals for club and country during their playing careers, have since become great mates as commentators. The ad sees Savage trick Ferdinand into believing he is being inducted into the prestigious Heineken ‘Hall of Fame’, which features portraits of international football icons. What he doesn’t realize is that Savage is influencing the creative execution of the artwork.

Heineken: Finally Together by Publicis

Ahead of this summer’s international football tournament, Heineken is encouraging footie fans to ‘Enjoy The Rivalry’.

‘Finally Together’ tells fans to make Heineken part of their big match ritual and celebrate the passion and fun of a big tournament atmosphere.

Sports Direct: Just a Game?! by Copa90

Football legend Eric Cantona is fronting Sports Direct’s Euro push. The first TV spot created in-house by media company Copa90, the campaign informs casual fans or people who don’t care about football what’s so great about it.

‘Just a Game?!’ delves beyond the stadium to show how sport can bond individuals and communities by channelling Britain’s favorite Frenchman.

Coca-Cola: Harry Kane’s Canes by Wieden+Kennedy

England Captain Harry Kane has displaced his new side business, ‘Harry Kane’s Canes’, in Coca-Cola’s new ‘Open That Coca-Cola’ Uefa Euro 2020 advert created by Wieden+Kennedy.

Eagle-eyed viewers who spotted the ad-within-an-ad and called the number would have been greeted by a message from Harry apologizing but informing them the business is not all as it seems.

Deliveroo: England ’Til We Dine by Pablo

Celebrating Deliveroo’s official sponsorship of the England teams, ‘England ’Til We Dine’ builds on the insight that even the minds of England fans will be on their favorite takeaways from different countries around the world.

Created by Pablo, ‘England ‘Til We Dine’ focuses on the role great food will play in our lives while watching the tournament this summer.

Greene King: If You Can’t Be There, Be Here by Trunk

To drive table booking for the upcoming tournament, Greene King’s Euro 2020 film features footie stars such as Jamie Redknapp, Ally McCoist, Ashley Williams and Emma Louise Jones. While the best place to watch the game is live at the stadium, Greene King says if you can’t be there, go to its establishment, which it calls the home of pub sport.

The film gives a nod to tournaments gone by, with seamless transitions between every scene – all written, directed, shot, edited and graded in-house by the Trunk team.

Betfair: Because we’re Betfair by Pablo

Betfair has a new positioning – ‘Because we’re Betfair’ – which it has introduced with its Euros campaign. Created by Pablo, the spot focuses on Betfair being the first bookmaker to remove cash out suspensions, addressing a key betting pain point.

The ad sees a CGI mammoth encased in ice, before it dramatically breaks free and sets off into a joyous footballer knee slide across the icy plain. Oh, and it’s voiced by Matt King, who famously played Super Hans in Peep Show.

Bud Light: Boxheads by Wieden+Kennedy

Bud Light has thought inside the box, touting its designation as the official beer of the England men’s football team. The tie-up sees the phizogs of Jordan Pickford, Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker adorn the front of custom-designed drinks cartons, enabling fans to toast their stars straight from the supermarket with a beer you can drink and a box you can wear.

Boxheads is a fully integrated campaign spanning TV, OOH, digital, social and PR to celebrate the brand’s role as official beer of the England men’s football team

Bud Light
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