The Brand: Men’ National Team

The Campaign: Euro 2024 Campaign

Brand Challenge: Twenty years after winning the Euro 2024, Portugal would compete again in the main European national teams competition. An incredible generation of Portuguese players, perhaps the best in history, coached by Roberto Martinez, entered as favorites to win Euro 2024 not only due to the quality of their athletes but also because of their incredible qualification with 10 wins in 10 games. I would be lying if I said that the goal for this campaign was to generate visibility for Team Portugal’s participation in Euro 2024. After all, the country, Europe (and the world too) stop to watch these games, and everyone comes together to cheer for their country. It’s certain that Portuguese fans didn’t need any campaign to ensure TV audiences.

The challenge was different. In recent years, the connection between fans and the National Team had been diminishing, partly due to less successful performances in recent Euros and World Cups. Therefore, it was necessary to rekindle a positive sentiment among fans.

Strategic Approach: One of the major differences from the past was the appointment of Roberto Martinez as the national team coach. Beyond his technical quality, his communication style and positive interactions with journalists and fans quickly made him a welcome figure among Portuguese supporters. His impressive series of victories also contributed to strengthening this connection.

We wanted the approach for this campaign to center around the ‘Mister’ - his ideas, personality, and leadership. How? A quite interesting insight: Since arriving in Portugal, Roberto Martinez has frequently used a phrase during press conferences and interviews: ‘we work to create memories.’ This statement not only sounds nice but also uniquely captures the impact of football on fans. More than just goals and results, the National Teams’ matches create lasting memories for all fans—memories that, if positive (and we all hope they are), can endure a lifetime. This became our starting point.

Creative Concept:
Share the Passion - “We work to create memories and only use one ingredient, Passion”

Using the same concept that had been introduced a few months ago for the launch of the new kits - Share the Passion - the agency did a great job connecting Roberto Martinez’s insight about creating memories with the passion that not only fans but also players share. The idea of renaming the City of Football - Portuguese FA HQ - to City of Memories (at least in the ad) and creating a mysterious floor (-87) allowed us to reveal the secrets behind all the memories that will be made during Euro 2024. There, athletes practice set pieces, shots, and even celebrations. But above all, they work to create memories.

Credits

CMO: Nuno Moura
Brand Manager: Telmo Esteves
Brand Manager: Rui Mascarenhas
Design: Ivo Gonçalves
Agency: Uzina
Production: Major West