David Beckham joins Alibaba as Global Brand Ambassador for AliExpress

What’s the story

AliExpress, Alibaba Group Holding’s popular global shopping platform, announced a one-year collaboration with English football legend David Beckham.

As part of a strategy to strengthen its international business in the face of growing competition from PDD Holdings’ Temu, the Chinese e-commerce giant has selected Beckham as its global brand ambassador.

The former footballer will take part in a number of promotional campaigns across various media platforms including television, online and social media.

Beckham’s promotional campaign for the inauguration of Euro 2024

Beckham’s promotional campaign for AliExpress will begin with television ads during the Euro 2024 European Football Championship, which begins on June 14.

It is worth noting that AliExpress is a sponsor of this year’s event. The campaign will include the distribution of vouchers and free match tickets worth millions of euros.

The move comes in response to an advertising frenzy by fierce rival Temu during the last two Super Bowls, known for its high ad placement costs.

Beckham’s role in AliExpress’s European market strategy

Gary Topp, AliExpress’s European commercial director, said their partnership with Beckham “makes a lot of sense” because he is a “global sports and lifestyle icon” and will “help AliExpress users get closer to the action throughout the tournament.”

Europe is a key destination for Alibaba’s e-commerce segment, which currently offers five-day delivery for online purchases in France, Germany and Portugal, among others.

Moreover, the European Championship is one of the most watched football tournaments in the world after the World Cup.

Development and expansion of AliExpress on international markets

AliExpress has played a significant role in driving the growth of Alibaba’s e-commerce business.

The platform’s revenue rose 45% in March to 27.4 billion yuan ($3.81 billion), mainly driven by its Choice premium service.

Total orders from Alibaba’s international marketplaces increased 20% year-over-year in the same quarter.

In addition to Beckham, in April AliExpress signed Chinese actor Tang Wei (The decision to leave) as a regional brand promoter in the rapidly growing e-commerce market in South Korea.