This year’s UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2024 or simply Euro 2024, was well underway in Germany. One constant that got people’s attention throughout the entire competition is the ‘Euro food war’.
Fans who flocked to Germany for the month-long tournament have entertained themselves with signs that taunt their opponents about their cuisine. Food banners were springing up in stadiums. and fans were running wild with these messages.
For example, signs like ‘Pasta > Paella’ were held up during Italy versus Spain. Or, signs like 'Fondue > Fish and Chips’ were held up during Switzerland versus England. “Fondue better than goulash,” read one at Switzerland versus Hungary. “Eat Pasta, Run Fasta,” said an Italian poster at the Albanian game. And “Kielbasa [sausage] better than gouda,” boasted Polish fans against the Netherlands.
While fans were defending nations’ culinary reputations, Deliveroo along with ‿ and us agency saw this as the perfect opportunity to tap into the “Food wars” and create a campaign that seized the moment.
Since Dubai is made up of 85% expats — and thanks to the time difference games were on at peak munch time — it was the perfect chance to make football fans feel like they were part of the action.
Turning the signs into promo codes, fans across the UAE could claim food supremacy. By inputting the code, fans got entered into a draw to win a 500AED voucher — but more importantly, they added to their team’s tally in the Euro Munch Match. So in the end Spain/England may have won in the football, but the campaign made sure it had its real winners, the ones who ordered on Deliveroo.
Fadi Yaish, CEO & Chief Creative O3icer of ‿ and us, stated: “These are the kinds of opportunities we’re always looking for. It’s a chance to create something that is right in the heart of culture. And when you have incredible partners like Deliveroo, you can make work that makes a massive impact.”
George Schempers, Head of Marketing at Deliveroo noted: “Food and football go together perfectly. And so do Deliveroo‿ and us. In our market, you have to be quick to capitalize on these cultural moments and we took this opportunity to do something truly creative.”
Throughout this campaign, Deliveroo made sure to listen to fans’ voices and represented their interests. This is a classic example of moment marketing. Euro Munch Match tapped into cultural moments and events, and succeeded in creating an emotional connection with the audience.
