Soccer legend David Beckham is set to be the face of Alibaba’s international e-commerce platform, AliExpress, marking its biggest global brand ambassador deal to date, as announced by the company on Monday.
This partnership comes as China-based competitors PDD Holdings’ Temu and online fashion startup Shein rapidly expand globally, with Temu even splashing out on a Super Bowl ad to woo U.S. customers.
AliExpress, keeping mum on how much they’re shelling out for Beckham’s star power, has joined the ranks of several Chinese companies sponsoring the UEFA European soccer championship, which kicks off in mid-June.
“AliExpress is splurging millions of Euros on discounts, deals, and engagement during the games,” the company said, adding that promotions will include chances for app users to win tickets to the matches.
“AliExpress is bringing fans closer to UEFA EURO 2024™ this summer by offering fantastic prizes as the action unfolds on the pitch,” Beckham said in his sole statement in the press release.
Beckham’s company, DRJB Holdings, reported a revenue of 72.6 million pounds ($92.5 million) in 2022, showing he’s not just kicking goals on the field.
Alibaba’s international e-commerce division, which includes AliExpress, is part of the Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group. The international unit’s sales soared by 45% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024 to 27.45 billion yuan ($3.79 billion). In contrast, its China-focused counterpart, Taobao and Tmall Group, saw a modest 4% growth, reaching 93.22 billion yuan in revenue during the same period.
However, the international unit also reported increased losses of 4.1 billion yuan, up from 2.2 billion yuan a year earlier. The company attributed these losses to “aggressive investments” in the Middle East and other emerging markets, according to Jiang Fan, co-chairman and CEO of the international unit, during an earnings call earlier this month.
In 2022, AliExpress spent around $7 million in South Korea to attract local consumers with lower product prices. Last year, they signed actor Don Lee as their first brand ambassador in South Korea.
Other Chinese companies are also ramping up their overseas efforts amidst slowing growth at home. Chinese sponsors of UEFA Euro 2024 include Alibaba-affiliate Alipay and electric car company BYD. Hisense became the first Chinese sponsor for the European championship in 2016, followed by three other Chinese companies signing on for the 2020 games.
With this star-studded lineup and international push, AliExpress is clearly not playing around!
