German price comparison platform Check24 has pulled off the marketing coup of the year by reportedly giving away five million unofficial German national team jerseys. DW.

Because it’s important. This ingenious campaign has overshadowed the sponsors of Euro 2024 and created a huge advertising impact. A transfer that did not come for free but neither UEFA nor the German FA have seen a penny.

Context. Adidas pays 50 million euros annually to be the official sponsor of the German national team. Nike will pay twice that amount from 2027. Check24 spent around 100 million euros on this viral marketing campaign.

Meanwhile, hundreds of videos on TikTok teach you how to ask for it for free.

On the left, Germany’s official kit for this European Cup. On the right, Check24. Image: Adidas, Check24.

How does it work?.

1. Check24 teamed up with Puma to design a t-shirt that looks like the official logo but without the official logo… but with a t-shirt from a high-end manufacturer, Puma.
2. They offered the t-shirt for free in exchange for downloading their app and signing up.
3. In just a few weeks, five million people ordered this shirt.
4. The Check24 app is currently the most downloaded app in Germany.
5. The company receives data from millions of potential new customers.

CoupIt is estimated that more Check24 T-shirts have been produced than official Adidas T-shirts. The record was held by the German team at the 2014 World Cup.

According to private portal Football HeadlinesNo other national team kit has been distributed so widely. Check24 has proven that it can hack a major sporting event without having to come to any agreement with official sponsors or organisers.

Comparison. The official Adidas t-shirt, with its official design and logos, is available for 90 euros. Sales are not yet announced Football Headlines He estimates there are less than half a million units.

The Check24 T-shirt has no official logos, but it does have the Puma logo (the presence of a major sports manufacturer is very different from the absence of a well-known brand) and the company itself. It is free in exchange for giving up personal data and has distributed five million units.

Great questionWill this change how brands approach sports sponsorships? It’s too early to know, but Check24’s case will be followed by many others, with more companies looking for more creative and less traditional ways to connect with major events.

And a curious thing: Check24 founder Henrich Blase left a statement that seems contrary to the age of decisions data based: “We have never calculated in any Excel sheet how much a new customer will cost us. For us, it is a long-term investment.” Relaxation.

Featured image | Pexels, Check24

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