This summer’s Euros saw England fans reclaim 'Hey Jude' as their terrace anthem, serenading the Three Lions all the way to the final. While the trophy ultimately headed back to Madrid, English supporters showcased their musical flair by transforming a classic Beatles track into their own rallying cry, delivering a masterclass in taking a well-known track and making it their own.

'Hey Jude' is the longest-charting single the Beatles released, and yet, for this summer at least, I’m willing to bet the English have a greater association between the track and midfield sensation Bellingham than its creator McCartney. Every time Bellingham touched the ball, the stadium reverberated with the iconic “better, better, better," creating an electric atmosphere.

This fan phenomenon highlighted how music and sport can intersect, creating memorable and powerful moments that resonate far beyond the final whistle.

Adidas captured fan passion in a highly emotive advertising campaign released at the start of the Euros. The campaign features young football fans on their local pitches alongside English footballing legends such as David Beckham and Ian Wright, enthusiastically singing along to the honorary anthem. It’s a brilliantly executed piece of sporting advertising that inspires English fans to come together in support of the Three Lions.

Despite the final scoreline, English football had come together. Players, pundits, fans, sponsors - all united by a single song.

Adidas' success with 'Hey Jude' at the Euros this summer highlights a unique opportunity to inspire passion. While not every brand may find such moments, the fundamental principles that football fans use to create their terrace anthems - namely the idea of re-recording a classic - offer valuable insights for any brand crafting a sonic strategy or choosing music for their ads. This is especially important in today's age, where shareability is crucial for making a lasting impact on consumers.

Everything old is new again

Fans in the stands have always shown an innate ability to reclaim iconic songs, from Anfield's heartfelt renditions of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' to Manchester City fans' soulful rendition of 'Blue Moon.' They understand the power of revitalising well-known songs, infusing them with deep meaning and emotion that resonates with both the players on the pitch and the club's rich history.

Crucial elements of any beloved football anthem are the track's popularity and memorability. Revitalising an existing, popular song that consumers or fans are familiar with means the basic melody is already known and will easily stick in their minds. All the crowd needs to learn is the updated lyrics, because they already know the tune. This makes it easy for such large groups to sing together. Audiences will have a more organic reaction if they find themselves singing or tapping their foot to a melody they have been listening to for decades.

Many brands tap into the idea of re-recording a classic for their advertisements and branded content. Barilla entered the TikTok scene a couple of years ago with a launch campaign that parodied the iconic 80s Lipps Inc hit Funkytown. A track millions of people were incredibly familiar with and fond of, Barilla re-recorded the instrumental and added personalised lyrics to comically celebrate the humble bowl of pasta. It’s a brilliant example of successfully leveraging a well known track to create a shareable social moment with a product at the centre, in a light-hearted way. Even this track could be made into a chant, why not swap ‘Rigatoni’ for Ivan Toney and you’ve got yourself another England song.

Make It Your Own

Most successful football anthems, filled with heartfelt meaning and sentiment, share a common thread: they are completely unrelated to the sport itself.

Liverpool’s You’ll Never Walk Alone is perhaps the most striking example, sung today in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster.

Despite its origin in the 1940s musical "Carousel" by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Liverpool has fully embraced the song, infusing it with a distinct meaning that resonates uniquely within Anfield's grounds.

Brands are also able to take seemingly unrelated tracks and inspire a new meaning to the song. A recent campaign we worked on at MassiveMusic for E. On used Irma Thomas' 'Time Is On My Side' but reinterpreted the song to amplify the climate crisis campaign message. This gave a whole new meaning to the song, made famous by The Rolling Stones, establishing a direct connection between the track and the brand in consumers' minds.

The ‘It’s Time’ campaign features businesspeople and homeowners on melting ice caps, on flooded streets, in a tornado and in burning forests. Each of them nonchalantly sings lines from the song as their focus remains locked on other things.

The art of breathing new life into old tracks is in inspiring new meaning, associations and emotional connections that consumers, or fans, can relate directly back to the brand. If strategically approached, taking an old song, and, if you’ll excuse the pun, making it better, has the power to elevate a brand campaign and drive significant cut-through and recall amongst consumers.