How brands are using the 2016 European Football Championship for their advertising

STORYTELLING Jörg Schneider, Country Manager at Undertone, looked at selected campaigns for the 2016 European Championship and identified four different storytelling patterns.

1. storytelling with a latent brand

In this pattern, the story takes center stage. The brand itself is not the carrier of the story, but is present through product placement or frequent visibility of the logo. Penetration with the product ensures a high level of recall for the consumer and, depending on the brand and implementation, generates a positive emotional charge for the brand. Hyundai The focus of the fan park is a young boy and his anticipation of the European Championships. The brand itself does not carry the story, but is present through latent product placement and the repeated insertion of the logo. The little boy earns money by doing housework in order to buy a ticket for one of the European Championship games. But when he doesn't get a ticket and goes home sad, he suddenly finds himself in the Hyundai Fan Park and can still experience the European Championship live. During the narrative, the Hyundai logo and products are repeatedly shown. However, they remain in the background. This gives more space to the human experience, the little boy's anticipation of the European Championship. The happy ending is then sponsored by Hyundai, so to speak. This has a positive effect on the image and brand recall.

2. product / brand placement within the storytelling and as the punch line of the plot

In this pattern, the brand is invisible as a narrative element until the punchline. However, the story builds up around the brand, it is the common thread, so to speak. The product placement is used as a consistent resolution of the story and punchline, leaving the consumer with a positive memory and attitude towards the brand and product.Lufthansa has adopted this pattern for this year's European Championship campaign. The focus is on the long-standing rivalry between German and English soccer fans, which Lufthansa uses as a stage for its brand. When an English fan is rebooked on a Lufthansa flight, he finds himself on a plane with a bunch of crazy Germans eating sauerkraut, playing brass band music and dressed in lederhosen. But then he finds himself on a first-class plane and realizes that the Germans do have some qualities. The humorous staging and resolution of the story gives the brand a positive image and makes it appear young, modern and high-quality. The message that Lufthansa is a bridge between fans of all nations is conveyed credibly. The humorous story arouses sympathy for the brand.

3. testimonial as the main protagonist and brand ambassador within the storytelling

Here, a well-known face is the focus of the story, making it a brand ambassador. This person must have a connection to either the brand or the product in order to convey the advertising message credibly. Within storytelling, they must also authentically demonstrate why they are convinced of the product and brand - only then will the positive image be transferred to the brand.Rewe has succeeded in doing so this year with Holger Stromberg. A relatively unknown face, it is quickly explained that, as the official chef of the German soccer team, he is looking for the answer to the question "What does the European Championship taste like?". The emotional connection to the European Football Championship is picked up by the setting in the soccer stadium: Holger Stromberg sits in the stadium as a fan and tries to capture the emotions that arise when the team enters the pitch, a goal is scored and the final whistle blows. Always with the question of how these emotions can be translated into taste. A Rewe saleswoman provides the answer by showing Rewe products and linking them to the emotions. The brand is shown several times by displaying the logo, but is pushed into the background by the brand ambassador. The reference to soccer is brought into focus again at the end by the final scene with Thomas Müller as the second, very well-known testimonial, at a barbecue and transferred to the brand.

4. storytelling with product at the center

This variant of storytelling is particularly suitable for brands with a tangible, tactile product. The story is carried by the product, but is not the focus of the presentation. It is often told in a humorous context and a specific, often topical, theme is addressed. Lego has adopted this pattern and presents the German national team as Lego men in a stop-trick production in "the world's smallest press conference". A Lego world of its own is staged, in which the reference to the real world is established again and again: The little men bear the names of the DFB players, the licensing that Lego has received from the DFB is mentioned and the re-enacted scenes of the press conference could just as easily take place in reality. Here, the emotionally charged topic of soccer is played with and cleverly transferred to the brand.Jörg Schneider, Country Manager Germany at UndertoneSoccer is an extremely emotional topic, and not only in Germany. For this reason, almost all European Championship commercials are about transferring the positive mood of the fans to your own brand. However, it is important to tell a coherent story and not put the brand or the product too much in the foreground. Only then can the emotion of the story be transferred to the brand and positively influence the image, which ultimately has an impact on brand recall and purchasing decisions."