UNICREDIT: FINDING ‘THE PERFECT MATCH’ TO DRIVE 8,000+ NEW CUSTOMERS

The Challenge

Differentiation is notoriously difficult in the financial services sector, where customer offerings often look and feel similar. UniCredit needed to break through the noise during the highly competitive Champions League period by offering something that felt personal, relevant and instantly rewarding.

The challenge lay in converting a high-profile sponsorship into a consumer experience that had emotional pull for football fans without alienating customers disinterested in the sport. Creating a reward that genuinely felt like the “perfect match” for all customer groups became the focus.

Why TLC

With over three decades of experience designing personalised programs that fuel acquisition, engagement and loyalty, TLC brought both strategic clarity and creative innovation to UniCredit’s sponsorship challenge.

The team ensured that every component of the campaign – its concept, rewards, digital experience, and headline prize – felt tailored, relevant and strongly tied to the Champions League moment.

The breadth and inclusivity of TLC’s reward ecosystem gave UniCredit confidence that the campaign would resonate with football enthusiasts and non-fans alike, making it the right partner to deliver a high-impact solution with measurable return.

The TLC Approach

TLC engineered a high-impact acquisition campaign that converted UniCredit’s Champions League sponsorship into a fully immersive customer experience. Everything centred on the “match” concept, linking Champions League evenings with rewards that customers could enjoy in real time.

New account holders who activated the UEFA-branded prepaid card unlocked The Perfect Match Pass, granting access to 2-for-1 pizza, restaurant meals and cinema tickets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays – rewards deliberately chosen to appeal not only to football fans watching the games but also to partners, families, and anyone looking for a midweek treat. This ensured the campaign held broad appeal without losing its connection to the excitement of match nights.

To reinforce the campaign theme, TLC introduced an interactive digital memory game, inviting users to find the correct “match” and strengthening engagement through playful participation. The campaign was complete with a headline prize draw of a 90-minute, €10,000 shopping experience, mirroring the duration of a full-time football match. Eight additional prizes consisted of round-trip flights for two to a European football capital, including stadium museum entrance, and a €50 shopping voucher for a local retailer.