- David Beckham is partnering with AliExpress this summer.
- Beckham will be the face of the "Score More" campaign running alongside the UEFA Euro 2024.
- Alibaba's competitors have also made big investments in their global audiences this year.
AliExpress, the international e-commerce site owned by Alibaba, is bringing on soccer star David Beckham as a brand ambassador.
The Chinese giant is upping its efforts to appeal to a global audience as rivals like Temu and Shein continue to gain popularity abroad. In February, Temu garnered attention for multiple ads during Super Bowl LVIII that the company reportedly paid millions for.
Enter Beckham, who will be a global ambassador for AliExpress as the face of its "Score More with AliExpress" campaign, the company announced Monday. The campaign will run through July 14 in line with the final game of the tournament set for the same day in Berlin.
In conjunction with the partnership with Beckham, AliExpress said it's investing millions of euros to sponsor the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament — beginning June 1 — and drive user engagement to its app. From June 14 to July 14, users can log in to the AliExpress app to access time-limited prizes offered every time a goal is scored.
"AliExpress is helping fans get even closer to UEFA Euro 2024 this summer, by offering them great prizes as the action takes place on the pitch," the former English national team captain said in a statement.
Over the past three years, Alibaba has faced pressure from the Chinese government, its successful rivals in the e-commerce space, and a $2.8 billion antitrust fine.
Employees received a page-long motivational memo from cofounder Jack Ma in April.
"This year, amid the many doubts and pressures on the company internally and externally, I saw the birth of a strong and brave Alibaba team," Ma said in the memo viewed by Reuters.
And, it would seem brand partnerships are a part of the strategy for Alibaba to secure its future.
"Whether you're a football fan or not, I can think of no-one better to show how easy it is to win with AliExpress during UEFA Euro 2024," Gary Topp, European Commercial Director, AliExpress, said about partnering with Beckham.