A Passion for Football – Hyundai shakes up football scene by hosting the world’s top amateur football teams in Portugal
June 29, Portugal/Rüsselsheim: Hyundai Motor, the UEFA EURO 2004 Championship sponsor, reaches out to active football enthusiasts in sharing its passion for the world’s number one sport. Over 1,300 amateur teams from all over the world played in the Hyundai Football World Championship. The best of the best were awarded with a goblet by Hyundai’s football ambassador and football legend Johann Cruyff.
The regional champions, sixteen top amateur football teams and winners of regional knock-out competitions from the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa competed in Lisbon for the Hyundai Football World Championship Cup 2004.
By sponsoring the Hyundai Football World Championship, Hyundai is sharing the enthusiasm and passion that is present at major sporting events, such as the Euro 2004. Speaking in Lisbon, Mr Kwang-Heum Um, President Hyundai Motor Europe GmbH, said: “It’s passion that brings people together. It’s passion that motivates people to go the extra mile. It’s passion that makes people strive for perfection.”
He continues: “Passion is a very important part of the Hyundai culture and as a company our passion has always been directed in three ways. First our cars, then our services, and then towards football. This is why we are principal sponsor of the UEFA EURO 2004 and many other related sponsoring engagements. This is why we are here today.”
Hyundai has been a sponsor of global top football events since 2000, starting with the UEFA Euro 2000 and continuing with the FIFA World Cup 2002.
Sponsoring international sports events accompanied Hyundai’s international sales growth and brand building world wide.
So far, the UEFA Euro 2004 event has been a huge success story for the carmaker:
Stadium advertising placed Hyundai in the minds of millions of spectators around the world.
The Hyundai Goodwill Ball Road Show, 17 footballs – all four meter in diameter – marked by fans with their best wishes for their respective national teams, has attracted tens of thousands of visitors all over Europe.
Additionally, Hyundai branded the team buses of the UEFA Euro 2004 national teams with slogans that had been created by fans in the European “Be there with Hyundai!” contest.
“We started out with the intention to improve brand recognition and brand awareness for Hyundai. We experienced record sales. Although it is too early to give a full picture of our activities’ sales impact, we are very confident looking at the preliminary sales figures for the UEFA EURO 2004 period,” says Werner H. Frey, Vice President Marketing Sales and After Sales, Hyundai Motor Europe GmbH.
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