Oppo Backs AFF Suzuki Cup; Plants New Flag In Southeast Asia

Chinese smartphone brand Oppo has been named as the official smartphone of the AFF Suzuki Cup for the first time.

Oppo will get naming and presenting rights to the ‘man of the match’ prize, as well as title sponsorship of the Decibel Challenge – previously run in 2018 – which rewards the loudest fan groups among all the Southeast Asian nations during the AFF Suzuki Cup.

The AFF Suzuki Cup deal is the latest in Oppo’s global sports marketing strategy which has seen it sign sponsorship deals with the likes of Brazilian superstar Neymar, as well as partnerships with La Liga’s FC Barcelona, the International Cricket Council (ICC), Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the Boston Marathon.

Jimmy Yi, Oppo APAC president, said: “Football is a sport that ignites the passion of millions of fans across Southeast Asia. With this sponsorship, we want to give the audience an opportunity to closely interact with the Oppo brand and experience our products, while they enjoy the matches and cherish the special moments created.”

According to ASN data, Oppo (41.7%,  ~US$373m) has been the biggest sponsor in its category across Asia over the past three years, however, like most of its rivals, it has tightened its purse since 2020: total sponsorship spend has dwindled to just US$96m.

The brand is more well known for its sponsorship in its home market of China (68%), with India its biggest overseas market (30.1% of spend), where it’s well known for investing in big-ticket properties such as hit TV shows and the Indian cricket national team. However, Oppo’s spend in Southeast Asia is almost invisible – a mere 1% of its total spend in Asia – but this latest deal with the AFF Suzuki Cup is a clear signaller that it is looking to plant a big flag in the region. The deal was brokered by the Asean Football Federation’s (AFF) commercial partner Sportfive.