The European Championships are approaching, and brands have been plotting to activate around the world-famous football tournament. EURO 2024, hosted by Germany, is sponsored by Coca-Cola. The Euros will feature 24 men’s national teams playing across ten host cities, with the final taking place at the Olympia Stadion in Berlin.

While the vast economic boost to local towns, cities and pubs is evident, tournaments like EURO 2024 present an excellent opportunity for many brands to run a football-themed campaign and get behind their respective national teams during the summer months.

EURO 2020 had 328 million worldwide viewers at its peak and over 5.23 billion across the tournament. It hosts a vast opportunity for both in-person brand activations and advertising surrounding the games. For marketers looking to make a big splash, the UEFA European Championship poses an opportunity to change.

EURO 2024 is set to be one of the biggest sporting events of the year, with the total revenue of EURO 2020 amounting to nearly 1.9 billion euros.

Based on bookmakers’ odds, England has the highest chance of winning the UEFA European Championship in 2024, with a 24% chance of success. Meanwhile, France is given a 22% chance of winning the tournament.

TV remains pivotal for reaching Euro 2024 audiences. In the UK, ITV and the BBC share rights. Advertising during England matches will command high prices due to viewership figures like above.

The Best of Euro 2024 Advertising

In my opinion, the two best Euro 2024 ads are from Paddy Power and Iron Brew.

Paddy Power’s advert, led by Cockney legend Danny Dyer, captures the nation’s excitement and anticipation with a touch of humility. The ad highlights the nation’s stereotypical wit and charm through the archetypal cockney football fan and their enthusiasm for the tournament.

This advert showcases people from different walks of life and utilises their sarcastic ‘compliments’ about us. There are Italians praising our sense of style (before the viral ‘four lads in skinny jeans’ comes up), a German expressing annoyance at young England fans chanting about our famous World Cup win, and even Danny Dyer epitomising most English dads on holiday by shouting, “Oi treacle, egg and chips por favor, please.”

A little closer to home, a Scot talks about our “world-famous renowned wit” before, finally, French fans have a dig about our penchant for “gracious exits” while an EU flag stands tall in the background.

Scotland fans and the Iron Bru brand are famous for their cheerful approach to international tournaments. Unsurprisingly, the Irn Bru Euros ad puts Scotland and the trademark brand humour front and centre.

The tone is set with the opening line, “Hey Scotland, good luck with your Mannschaft, yeah,” spoken by a German football fan. For the avoidance of doubt: Mannschaft – Noun (German) – Translates to “A football team.”

The advert then discusses the strength of Scotland’s Mannschaft and “how this year could even reach a semi.” Not only does this brand of humour go hand-in-hand with Irn Bru, but it’s also the kind of playful, risqué humour that appeals more broadly to football fans and is likely to get people talking across social media and beyond in the lead-up to the tournament.

You can find a further breakdown of all the best Euro 2024 ads here.