In the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey region, 81 percent of TikTok football fans watched content created by brands on the platform DUBAI: As the official sponsor of this year’s UEFA Euro 2020 football competition, video-sharing social networking service TikTok became the first digital platform to back a major international tournament. A passion for sports was evident on the platform, especially when it came to football content, which gave brands an opportunity to connect with audiences using football-related cultural and sporting events. In the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey region, 81 percent of TikTok football fans watched content created by brands on the platform, resulting in 76 percent of them participating in specially curated hashtag challenges to celebrate the sport, according to a study by market research firm Ipsos. And 79 percent of users engaged with other users’ football content by sharing or reposting it. Shant Oknayan, general manager of global business solutions METAP for TikTok, said: “The great level of traction that football content gained in our community is a testament to our platform’s success in enabling brands to engage more authentically with their sports audience.” In June, TikTok launched Creative Digest, a bimonthly video newsletter featuring the most creative and innovative regional brand campaigns. To honor and conclude UEFA Euro 2020 celebrations on TikTok, the app dedicated the latest edition of Creative Digest to brands that scored big with football-related content and there were three that stood out. Nivea Men chose to challenge users to share their #GameReady rituals, to capitalize on the pre-game excitement and bring audiences together. As part of the challenge, the brand posted a video featuring Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho performing the game rituals using Nivea products. Head and Shoulders asked football fans to share how they celebrated their favorite football moments through the #CelebrateFootball challenge. The brand reinforced its tagline, “Keep an Ice-Cold Head this Summer,” while encouraging the community to express their love for the game. And Gillette invited its audience to show their favorite football celebration in an engaging video, featuring the fresh after-shave face of a Gillette user. Through the #CelebrateFootball challenge, Gillette brought to life its tagline, “The Best A Fan Can Get,” by encouraging the TikTok community to celebrate the spirit of the football game. “Brands in the region were able to stay on-trend with football lovers, share adrenaline-pumping moments, and develop outstanding campaigns that deeply resonate with the football community, delivering tangible results,” Oknayan added.