As another major men’s football tournament approaches, another profusion of brands are creating adverts to capitalise on the four weeks of football fever surrounding Euro 2024.
Like the beautiful game itself, there are always going to be winners and losers. But whose adverts have done enough to earn a seat on my proverbial plane to Germany and whose poor performance means they should be staying at home?
Let’s take a look at the Jude Bellinghams and Jack Grealishes of the advertising world.
Paddy Power
Paddy Power has Danny Dyer fronting its campaign to announce that England are “everyone’s favourites” for this year’s tournament.
With stupendous stereotypes and self-deprecation, we sarcastically hear from other European nations why England are their favourites too – from a German saying we’re humble about past successes, to a French diplomat having a jibe at England’s “gracious exit” from the European Union.
While it somewhat celebrates behaviour that could be deemed as loutish, the advert has a charm that lets the company get away with it. They’re like the joker in the team so, unlike Gazza, who was dropped by Glenn Hoddle in 1998, Paddy Power has a seat on my plane.
Sports Direct
Sports Direct has really amped up its advertising performance in recent years, but for its Euro 2024 ad they’ve become a little derivative of a style of commercial quickly becoming cliched.
Fast-paced cuts, an overabundance of action, football boots overlaid with lightning animation, camera angles from the point of view of a ball, a cavalry of footballers running through a Sunday league park – it all just feels very familiar.
They’re like the flashy winger that does a lot of step-overs but never seems to beat a defender, so unfortunately, they’re staying home.
BBC
The BBC has continued its long run of intricately crafted promos for major sporting events, with a mesmerising 3D animation of a giant Euro 2024-themed pinball machine.
We follow the ball as it pings around the game, passing German landmarks and bouncing between the various players and teams that are going to make the tournament worth watching.
With accompanying match commentary from the likes of Guy Mowbray and Vicki Sparks, it captures beautifully the excitement and unpredictability of an international tournament. The BBC is not only on the plane, it’s probably got the captain’s armband as well.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola has a longstanding association with football, but its series of Euro 2024 commercials leave no room for sentiment. They’re based on the overused insight of fan rituals, and not particularly interesting ones at that.
In one advert, a woman crosses her fingers when a penalty is given, before another pair of hands grow from her fingertips and those fingers cross too. It’s a little weird, a little gross, albeit filmed in an elegant way. But the tagline is convoluted, and its ends with a call to action for everyone to join a hashtag, as if it’s 2010.
They’re like a player that’s just a little slow on the ball and past their best, so they’ll have to make do with a barbecue in their back garden.
Adidas
Finally, Adidas has continued its new brand positioning, You Got This, with a football advert that laments the pressures elite players face when representing their nation.
With the familiar tones of David Beckham narrating, Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie as its soundtrack, and featuring a plethora of football stars from around the world (they had to feature Lionel Messi), it is a classy commercial with all the quality, star power and finesse you could ask for.
They’re the star of the tournament, the wonderkid, the player that might help your team lift the trophy, so they can book their luxury hotel suite and look forward to kick-off.
Steve Howell is executive creative director at sport creative agency Dark Horses.