Shortly before the kick-off of the upcoming World Cup, Zalando announced its collaboration with the German Football Association (DFB). The Berlin online retailer and the men’s national team are jointly presenting a program about tournament preparation, Zalando announced on Monday. The video format will be published in several episodes and appear as part of the digital fans hub “90+” on Zalando.
“A video format that accompanies the German national team over a longer period of time has never existed before in this form with the DFB and a partner in the German market,” says James Rothwell, SVP Marketing at Zalando. “With the launch, Zalando underlines its pioneering role and combines inspiration and entertainment with the fascination of football.
With the digital fan zone “90+”, Zalando is expanding its commitment to the Football World Cup and combining sport, fashion and fan culture in its own content format. The focus is on insights into the lives and personal styles of the players in the German national team. The series is moderated by former football professionals and current content creators Niklas-Wilson Sommer and Sidney Friede, who also meet the players off the pitch. New episodes appear regularly on the “90+” platform during the group phase.
The offer is supplemented by other specially produced content, including short documentaries about the football and style culture of the World Cup venues New York, Seattle and Mexico City. In addition, a documentary series follows DFB fans and highlights the emotional meaning of the national jersey. With the “Kit Check” format, Zalando also tells the stories behind various jerseys from the perspective of its own employees.
Zalando will also be focusing on football content on its social media channels during the tournament. For this purpose, the company has put together its own “Football Squad” of eleven creators who will follow the tournament and focus on the connection between professional sports, streetwear and fan culture.