Lidl launches campaign with tennis star Steffi Graf

Lidl has high ambitions for its own-brand sports label Crivit, which already generates a turnover of around 1.5 billion euros. The discounter even wants to position itself as a challenger to Decathlon, which is worth more than €15 billion. That is why Lidl is launching a large-scale European marketing campaign with German tennis star Stefanie Graf, who, after a career with 22 Grand Slam titles, now promotes a holistic lifestyle, with a focus on balance and inner motivation.

That is what connects CRIVIT and Stefanie Graf, says the retailer in a press release: the belief that an active lifestyle is created through fun and relaxation, not through pressure to perform. After all, the sports brand wants to be accessible to everyone. The tennis star will not only promote her own sport, but Crivit’s entire range in categories such as camping and outdoor, cycling, fitness, running, and team sports.

In a sense, Graf will be doing for Crivit what Arnold Schwarzenegger does for Lidl’s DIY brand Parkside. “Following the success of our Parkside brand, we are now opening up one of the most relevant categories for a better life with Crivit: sports and leisure. The fact that Stefanie Graf has chosen Lidl to spread her mission is a great sign of appreciation and, at the same time, proof of our quality standards,” says Jens Thiemer, Chief Customer Officer at Lidl International. Crivit’s omnichannel campaign will launch across Europe on February 14.