Bundesliga and Sporthilfe Launch 'Bereit für Großes' With Mario Götze
TL;DR: Sporthilfe, the Bundesliga and the Bundesliga Stiftung have launched 'Bereit für Großes' ('Ready for Great Things'), a national TV and digital campaign timed to the 2026/27 kick-off, fronted by World Cup winner Mario Götze to promote a youth-elite programme that funds up to 300 young athletes a year.
What the campaign is
Sporthilfe, the Bundesliga and the Bundesliga Stiftung have launched 'Bereit für Großes', a nationwide TV and digital campaign timed to the 2026/27 Bundesliga kick-off.
The emotional 30- and 60-second films feature World Cup winner Mario Götze alongside Olympic and Paralympic athletes, including javelin European champion Julian Weber and para-swimmer Gina Böttcher.
The campaign promotes the 'Nachwuchselite-Förderung', a youth-elite programme fully funded by the Bundesliga Stiftung since 2016 that backs up to 300 young athletes a year across Olympic, Paralympic and Deaflympic sports; the partnership, running since 2008, has been extended to at least 2030.
Why the kick-off timing matters
Launching alongside the Bundesliga season opener is a shrewd media decision. It borrows the biggest attention moment in German sport to spotlight a cause that would otherwise struggle to command national airtime.
Pairing a footballing household name in Götze with Olympic and Paralympic athletes broadens the emotional reach beyond football fans, tying elite football's popularity to grassroots athlete funding.
The through-2030 extension signals this is a sustained platform, not a one-season activation — the kind of long-term commitment that builds cumulative brand equity for the Bundesliga's social mission.
Marketing Minute's read
Our take: this is purpose marketing done with discipline. It attaches a credible, long-running programme — up to 300 funded athletes a year since 2016 — to a big cultural moment, so the message has substance behind the emotion.
The strength is authenticity. The Bundesliga Stiftung has funded this since 2016, so the campaign is reporting a real commitment rather than manufacturing a cause for a season.
The lesson for brands is that purpose lands when it's backed by longevity and hard numbers. 'Up to 300 athletes, funded since 2016, extended to 2030' is far more persuasive than a vague statement of values.
What businesses should do
Anchor purpose campaigns to a real, long-running commitment. Longevity and concrete numbers are what separate credible purpose from opportunistic messaging.
Borrow cultural moments for causes that struggle for attention. Launching alongside a season opener gives a social mission airtime it couldn't buy alone.
Broaden the emotional reach with diverse ambassadors. Pairing a football star with Olympic and Paralympic athletes extends relevance beyond a single fanbase.
Quick FAQ
What is 'Bereit für Großes'?
A national TV and digital campaign by Sporthilfe, the Bundesliga and the Bundesliga Stiftung, fronted by Mario Götze, promoting a youth-elite athlete programme, timed to the 2026/27 kick-off.
Who features in the films?
World Cup winner Mario Götze alongside Olympic and Paralympic athletes including javelin European champion Julian Weber and para-swimmer Gina Böttcher.
What does the programme fund?
The 'Nachwuchselite-Förderung' backs up to 300 young athletes a year across Olympic, Paralympic and Deaflympic sports, funded by the Bundesliga Stiftung since 2016 and extended to at least 2030.
This is purpose marketing done with discipline. It attaches a real, long-running programme — up to 300 athletes funded a year since 2016 — to the biggest attention moment in German sport. That's the lesson: purpose lands when it's backed by longevity and hard numbers, not a vague statement of values dropped for one season. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
The campaign works because the purpose is real: 'up to 300 athletes, funded since 2016, extended to 2030' gives the emotion substance, and the kick-off timing borrows German sport's biggest moment.
Does your brand's purpose have longevity and hard numbers behind it, or just a nice line? Audiences can tell the difference — which do you have?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Deutsche Sporthilfe (Presseportal), Horizont and Sport1.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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