The most memorable sports marketing moments in 2024
Entirely subjective and once again, in no particular order, here are my notable campaigns, activations and content pieces from the last 12 months.
It’s that time of year again, where we look back and reflect on the most commendable activations or campaigns.
With the return of the Olympics, the Paralympics, the UEFA European Championships and the men’s and women’s T20 World Cups there was no shortage of marketing activity as brands and rights holders looked to leverage all that action and excitement.
This is an entirely subjective selection, based on what has stood out for me, however if you feel like I missed something that really impressed you in 2024 then feel free to comment below.
1.Nike take a step back in the right direction
For a brand that wrote the playbook on culturally-relevant sports marketing, Nike have had a tough couple years. An unsuccessful D2C pivot, product fatigue and ‘cooler’ new brands on the scene such as Hoka and On eating into its market share, led to the worst trading day in the company's history in June.
With new CEO Elliott Hill coming in amid talk of a back to basics approach, the Oregon-based sportswear giants, worked with their long term agency partner Wieden + Kennedy to deliver a campaign targeting casual runners: Winning Isn’t Comfortable.
With three ads, Morning, Sunshine and my favourite, Stairs (see below), Nike showed runners all over the world that they were not alone in their struggles.
Nike have always stated their mission to be:
To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.
*If you have a body, you are an athlete.
This campaign captures that perfectly, in my view, and felt like Nike was getting back to what it does best.
2.Liverpool FC nail Klopp’s long goodbye
“I am running out of energy,” admitted a rather forlorn looking Jurgen Klopp in January, to give Liverpool fans our worst start to a calendar year since the club decided to spend more than two thirds of a £50m Fernando Torres transfer fee on Andy Carroll.
The Reds enjoyed an exhilarating nine years under the Klopp - and with five month’s notice given for his departure- the content team had plenty of time to prep for an epic farewell.
However it’s not easy to get the time you need with managers and players when there are trophies to be won.
Thankfully, they did a great job capturing the emotion of the occasion, while reaffirming the identity of the club and the essence of the man who won eight trophies during his time on Merseyside.
There was plenty of content for fans to revel in across all platforms in as Klopp gave the big ‘Auf Wiedersehn’ in May.
Soundtracked with ‘You To Me Are Everything’ by 'The Real Thing’ - a band founded in 1970s Liverpool (so, even the song is on brand), this video is a standout for me.
While this one showcased the humanity and statesman-like qualities of Klopp.
We got a masterclass in how to say goodbye to a revered figure and a reminder that some very talented people work in content teams at football clubs.
3.Every Dogg has his day, as Snoop and NBC dominate Paris 2024
If you told me back in 1993 when a young ‘gangsta rapper’ was blowing up my Walkman with lyrics such as : “It's the capital S, oh yes, I'm fresh, N double O P
D O double G Y, D O double G, ya see,” that this very same man would become America’s sweetheart and a bonafide national treasure, I would have accused you of making a Chronic misjudgement.
However, fast forward three decades and not only is the Walkman obsolete, the ‘D O double G’ has become a bit of an MVP for the IOC. [OK that’s enough acronyms].
The Doggfather struck a deal with the Olympics’ US broadcast rights partner, NBC, reportedly netting him a staggering $500,000 a day as an “ambassador of happiness.”
To give a flavour Snoop’s antics in Paris:
Here he is enjoying dressage, which we all know he loves for its apparent likeness to ‘Crip-walking’.
While here he is at the Louvre ‘snooping around’.
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NBC credited Snoop with helping drive a 79 per cent increase in viewership from the behind-closed-doors Tokyo Games in 2021.
Food for thought for broadcasters facing the challenge of how to attract a younger, more diverse audience after shelling out millions for rights.
Perhaps it’s less about adding breakdancing and more around the lens with which you present these competitions to the world?
4.Adidas turn reactive content on its head
The Euros in Germany had no shortage of brands getting reactive, particularly as England went deeper in the tournament.
When Jude Bellingham, who adidas built their UK campaign around with an epic Hey Jude TVC, scored a stunning injury-time goal to send England into extra time against Slovakia, the German brand got to work.
Normally flipping logos are a big no-no in the brand world, however by deliberately placing their iconic three stripes upside down to mirror Bellingham’s acrobatics, adidas created an asset that was fun, shareable and, most importantly, featured their products - the boot and official ball in frame.
The viral moment was so successful that it even ‘inspired’ Nike to do this.
Nike reversed their ‘Swoosh’ logo after after Philadelphia Eagles’ running back Saquon Barkley‘s delivered the play of the year when he hurdled backwards over Jacksonville Jaguars’ cornerback Jarrian Jones.
Fun, simple, cost effective ways to get your brand and your association with that athlete into the centre of a major viral moment.
5.Uber Eats deliver a winning campaign for Les Bleus
One of the most talked about campaigns of the summer came from France, with Uber Eats leveraging their partnership with Les Bleus.
The “Fred Livraison” campaign addressed the frustration of unexpected delivery fees, via a fictional character Fred, who personifies these unwelcome charges.
Through comedic sketches featuring some of the stars of the team, Fred captured the annoyance many users feel when faced with additional costs.
By poking fun at delivery charges, Uber Eats were able to drive sign ups to their Uber One platform, generate significant positive buzz on social media and create a campaign which topped Kantar’s list of the most effective Euro 2024 ads.
Although Kylian Mbappe, did not feature in the TVCs, he enjoyed his own moment with Fred during France’s warm up game against Luxembourg.
Tres bien from Uber Eats’ agency partner in France, Buzzman.
6.Unicef get Kim Ye-ji in their sights
Paris 24 truly was the Olympics of viral moments.
From the unconventional breakdancing performed by Australian university lecturer Rachael ‘Ray Gunn’ Gunn, to nonchalant Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec giving ‘your uncle just showed up at the Olympics and decided to have a go at this shooting lark’ energy to chocolate muffin-obsessed Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christian, we had plenty to chat, share and laugh about online.
My favourite of the lot however was Kim Ye-ji, the South Korean markswoman with her Fortnite meets Far Cry aesthetics.
Yeji’s ‘main character energy’ made her an overnight star and it was only a matter of time before the brands came calling for the women’s 10m pistol silver medallist.
Givenchy and Balenciaga swiftly snapped up the 32 year-old for campaigns, however it was children’s charity Unicef, which utilised her particularly effectively appointing her as an ambassador and making her the figure head of their Team Korea.
Ye-ji said: “As a mother, I feel more responsible as a player to be part of the Unicef team that protects children around the world. If it's for children in the global community in the future, I'll do my best to help them.”
Sometimes it takes a viral moment for brands to rapidly see who will resonate with Gen Z audiences and help them reach their objectives.
7.Born Slippy: Cucurella and Puma get knocked down, but then get up again.
What do you do if one of your athletes literally posts an image of your boots in the bin?
That was the dilemma faced by Puma, after Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella’s Bambi-On-Ice performance led him to run off the pitch and change his boots.
With Chelsea completing a comeback win against Spurs, following the 26 year-old left back’s double-gaffe, the Spaniard was able to see the lighter side by posting a picture of his binned boots on his Instagram story.
The moment would have certainly triggered alarm bells at Puma HQ, which is presumably why Cucurella’s deleted the post not long after publishing it.
However, the curly-haired star’s boot sponsor did a great job of turning a negative moment into a positive one by hauling the him back into the studio, slapping the £220-a-pair boots back on him and getting him to pose next to a ‘wet floor’ sign.
Extra marks to Puma for the clever caption:
It’s not how you slip, it’s how you bounce back. @cucurella3.
8.Bryson DeChambeau plays his Trump card
Wherever you stand on the anti-immigration, anti-free trade, often incoherent, politics of Donald Trump, the 2024 US election represented an inflection point for legacy media and its clout against alternative / independent media.
Trump’s wooing of the Manosphere was central to his strategy. Interviews with Logan Paul, Adin Ross and Joe Rogan helped him spread his message to a younger, male audience.
But how about his wooing of the ‘Fanosphere’? The golf-loving 78 year-old tycoon teamed up with LIV golfer, Bryson DeChambeau for a special episode of DeChambeau's YouTube series, "Break 50."
In this series, DeChambeau and his guests aim to complete 18 holes in under 50 strokes, with $10,000 donated to the Wounded Warrior Project for every stroke under par.
The collaboration quickly went viral, attracting millions of views and helping to reinforce Trump’s insistence that he knows how to swing a club and that, you know, he is just like every other ‘normal American dude’.
The video has achieved more than 13m views while DeChambeau’s channel continues to grow thanks to a load of celebrity cameos and fun content which golf fans on YouTube seem to be lapping up.
9.adidas earn their stripes for kit launch season
I am always fascinated by kit launches as they give clubs a chance to reaffirm their heritage and excite fans at a time when they are feeling optimistic for the new season.
This summer’s efforts for Manchester United, Aston Villa and Newcastle United from adidas, and kit launch specialists Homeground were a lot of fun.
Here’s the Newcastle United one - featuring a madcap away day on a train, which attracted plenty of earned reach and positive sentiment from fans of all clubs (apart from Sunderland).
10. Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton reach the end of their journey together
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team also had to bid farewell to a revered figure, as F1 GOAT, Lewis Hamilton ended his tenure with the team.
The team released a ton of wholesome content on their digital channels as they waved goodbye to Hamilton (and potentially millions of fans).
This powerful, emotive video soundtracked with Stormzy’s Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2 encapsulated why Hamilton’s legacy transcends his considerable on track record.
I absolutely cannot wait to see what we get next season when F1’s most iconic brand - Ferrari - and the grid’s most iconic driver come together.
11.CR7 breaks YouTube
The Saudi Pro League’s marquee star Cristiano Ronaldo prepared for life after the game, with a hugely successful launch of his YouTube channel: UR Cristiano.
Going live in July, the channel racked up one million subscribers in the first 90 minutes, setting a new record on the platform.
With a mix of career highlights reel-type content and more behind-the-scenes stuff with Ronaldo and his partner, Georgina Martinez, the content strategy has delivered the goods, helping fans learn more about his personality, with videos of Martinez proving particularly popular.
At the time of writing, the 39 year-old’s page already has 71.9m subscribers putting him 25th on the list of channels with the most subscribers.
The Al-Nassr forward has some way to go before he reaches the 339 subscribers enjoyed by MrBeast - and his most viewed video features a chat with the King of YouTube himself, which turned out to be a pretty illuminating chat between two of the most well known people on the planet.
That’s it for my favourite sports marketing moments of 2024!
Let me know which one was your favourite below!
And finally…
Thanks so much for all the views, messages, comments and listens in 2024.
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Wishing you all a very merry festive season and a Happy New Year!
Really enjoyed reading, watching and listening to your examples, , most of which I have never seen. 1. Klopp (emotion) 2. Beast and Ronaldo (collab) and 3. Nike trainers (clever)