Press Release
• Lidl's sponsorship of the biggest football event in Europe, as an Official Partner of UEFA EURO 2024™, signaling the company's first international participation in football.
• Sending 1,122 members of the Lidl Kids Team from all over Europe to the stadium next to the football heroes, with over 1.1 million entries in the respective competition.
• Presence in the commercial screenings of the stadium and fan zones for making fresh fruit available to fans by handing out fruit salads, for which 91 tons of fruit were offered.
• Watching the UEFA EURO 2024™ matches at the stadium by 16,000 lucky lottery winners.
Lidl, one of Europe's leading food retail chains, is celebrating successfully completing its first international football sponsorship at the UEFA EURO 2024™. With sports being a central pillar in Lidl's long-term commitment to health and conscious eating, this sponsorship led to the "We are on your team" corporate campaign. From maintaining competitive prices and providing simple, healthy, fresh food, to bringing fans closer to the biggest football event in Europe, representing its commitment to its consumers’ side, the company once again proved that it is by everyone's side.
Hand in hand with the football stars
During the four weeks and in hand with the stars, Lidl allowed 1,122 children to form the well-known Lidl Kids Team to travel to Germany and attend matches as official accompanying players. Lidl Kids Team participants were children aged six to ten, that were selected regardless of gender, origin, or other characteristics. The children’s legal guardians were only needed to complete the children’s entry form, which was available exclusively through the Lidl Plus app. The number of participants in the draw exceeded 1.1 million.
Each Lidl Kids Team had a packed schedule filled with fun activities and educational local experiences, before meeting the best football players of Europe on the field and in front of tens of thousands of fans at the UEFA EURO 2024™ match. From hugs with the football legend Cristiano Ronaldo to talks with Czech Republic captain Tomáš Souček, walking the pitch with Spanish midfielder Rodri, and meeting English idols such as Rio Ferdinand, all the children had the opportunity to enjoy unique experiences throughout the tournament.
Inspiring healthier choices
Breaking away from tradition and aiming to give football a helping hand, the company aimed to make healthy choices more attractive and affordable. With the innovative decision to offer healthy options instead of traditional snacks found in stadiums, Lidl made fresh fruit available in the shops at the stadiums in Berlin, Munich, Dortmund, Stuttgart and Frankfurt, as well as in the fan zones in Berlin, Munich, Dortmund, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Hamburg and Dusseldorf, thus creating new relationships between football stadiums and a healthy diet. As a result, 91 tons of fruit were used to make fruit salads that were distributed to everyone, inside and outside the stadiums, and as a healthy alternative option. This made football matches fresher and healthier, not only for professional players but also for spectators, supporters, and fans of all ages – especially children. The European Championship puts football in the spotlight and Lidl puts fresh fruit in the spotlight, whilst looking to redefine snacks and nutrition during sports events.
In addition, the mission aimed to bring the football atmosphere to fans outside UEFA EURO 2024™ host cities. To achieve this, Lidl fan festivals, which also focused on healthy eating, took place in 21 locations in Germany as well as 9 other European countries in which Lidl operates.
Lidl recognizes the important role played by big sports events such as the UEFA EURO 2024™ in encouraging children to participate in sports activities. Therefore, providing experiences such as the opportunity to become part of the Lidl Kids Team, helped to promote this, while the company hopes to inspire more children across Europe to acquire an active lifestyle.
Bringing fans closer to football
Lidl's partnership with UEFA EURO 2024™ is designed to reward the company's loyal customers throughout Europe. Lidl organized draws, for example, through the Lidl Plus app, offering app users the unique opportunity to win a double ticket for the games and an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Germany. The total entries reached a staggering 15.3 million. The company gave the opportunity to 16,000 fans from about 30 countries, mainly through draws carried out on the Lidl Plus app, to watch matches during the UEFA EURO 2024™.
Even in Lidl countries that did not qualify for the UEFA EURO 2024™, Lidl was able to convey the emotions with its campaign. This created a comprehensive experience, which brought the fans closer to stadiums and fan zones, but also to people on TV and social media networks. According to UEFA, the ten fan zones in the host cities received a total of 5.8 million visitors.
Mr. Martin Brandenburger, Lidl Cyprus’ CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors said: “Football inspires millions of people every day. And Lidl is a reliable partner in the daily shopping experience of millions of customers. Consequently, the UEFA EURO 2024™ was a perfect choice for us. We at Lidl also brought our social responsibility to this partnership. Our shared goal was to raise awareness and inform the public about a healthy and active lifestyle with fresh, sustainable, and healthy food, which in our opinion worked very well for us."
About Lidl
As a member of the Neckarsulm-based Schwarz Group, Lidl is among the leading food retail businesses in Germany and Europe. Today, it operates more than 12,200 stores and more than 220 logistics centers in 31 countries.
Lidl Cyprus has been active in Cyprus since 2010. Today it employs more than 700 employees, while its network includes 21 stores and 1 state-of-the-art logistics centre.
Visit Lidl Cyprus online:
corporate.lidl.com.cy
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lidlfoodacademy.com.cy
facebook.com/lidlcy
instagram.com/lidl_cyprus
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