ADAGE: TIKTOK VIDEOS MEET SOCCER IN PLATFORM'S EURO 2020 CAMPAIGN
TikTok is building on the growing amount of soccer content on its platform in a new campaign marking its sponsorship of the delayed Euro 2020 tournament.
A new spot from agency Dark Horses, directed by Daniel Kaufman of Anonymous Content U.K., overlays fan videos from TikTok with footage from Euro soccer matches, neatly bringing them together to make fun mash-ups. In one sequence, for example, Cristiano Ronaldo kicks a ball and it’s seemingly caught by a cat in a viral clip. New Order’s “Blue Monday” provides a retro soundtrack.
Soccer content has had a significant rise on TikTok, with over 119 billion views on the #football hashtag, increasing from 70 billion when the platform’s UEFA Euro 2020 partnership was announced in February this year.
The campaign will be running across Europe from today in the build-up to the tournament next month, with a key focus on the U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Russia and Germany, Turkey, the Middle East and Japan. The wider campaign will see a large-scale station takeover in Munich as well as outdoor sites inMoscow and St Petersburg, while social elements will pose questions that viewers have to answer.
“It’s been a long year for football fans waiting for the Euros and now it’s here the excitement is palpable,” said James Rothwell, head of marketing, Europe, at TikTok, in a statement. “This campaign isn’t just about celebrating the return of football but giving those expectant fans around the world a way to get involved in the return of the beautiful game—whether they’re lucky enough to get a ticket or watching elsewhere.”
“The last time we had a Euros, TikTok hadn’t even launched,” added Steve Howell, creative partner at Dark Horses. “That’s how long it’s been. But finally, the Euros are happening. And the hottest digital entertainment platform on the planet is sponsoring it. ‘Where fans play’ is the alchemy of everything that’s brilliant about an international football tournament—iconic moments on the pitch and unforgettable emotions off it.”