Tampa Bay Buccaneers "Döner Kebucs"

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

The NFL Germany Game is the perfect stage to connect with international fans — but in 2025, we – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – weren't on the field. So how did we win without playing?

We took a culturally rooted approach. Instead of competing in the stadium, we connected Tampa Bay culture with Berlin’s. And because culture lives through food, we created the Döner Kebuc — a bold fusion of Berlin’s döner kebab and Tampa Bay’s Cuban sandwich that won fans’ hearts and dominated headlines across TV, press, and social all weekend.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

In an increasingly global National Football League, connecting with fans across borders means going beyond simply showing the game in new markets. It opens the opportunity to engage with local culture in ways that feel meaningful and lasting. In Berlin, we set out to explore what international belonging can look like when local identity is not just acknowledged, but actively embraced. Instead of treating German supporters as distant viewers of a U.S. franchise, we recognized them as culturally rooted fans with their own traditions and pride. By merging Berlin’s beloved döner culture with our Cuban sandwich heritage — and translating that fusion into limited merchandise blending our historic logo with the iconic döner paper wrap — we created a shared symbol of dual pride. By embedding ourselves in everyday local culture, we shifted engagement from spectacle to participation. From temporary presence to lasting identification. The benchmark we set is clear: global expansion succeeds when brands co-create culture with fans, not simply broadcast it to them.

Objective

The NFL Germany Game is the most anticipated weekend of the entire season for the German football community. Fans of all 32 NFL-teams travel to one city – even though only two teams actually play. For the teams with marketing rights in Germany, this weekend becomes a brutal battle for the fans’ attention in the city. In 2025, when the game came to Berlin, we — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (“Bucs”) — faced exactly that challenge: How do you win over Berlin without ever stepping onto the field?

Strategy & Execution

The typical playbook of an NFL team for an international Gameday revolves around bar takeovers, watch parties, and mascot appearances. Our strategic approach, however, was to integrate something deeply local so German fans feel recognized as stakeholders, not just spectators of an American franchise. So we brought a piece of our hometown with us—Tampa’s street food classic, the Cuban sandwich—and fused it with Berlin’s king of the streets, the Döner Kebab. The idea was born: the “Döner Kebuc.” To translate this cultural fusion visually, we built the activation around fan-centric design choices. We created a brand-new logo that merged our historic Tampa Bay Buccaneers emblem with the iconic man from the Döner paper—a visual that has been part of Berlin’s street culture for decades and is instantly recognized across the city and the whole nation. To bring the idea to life during the Germany Game weekend, we took over a Berlin Döner spot where fans could experience this flavorful bridge between Tampa and Berlin firsthand. We extended the concept through a limited merchandise drop using the instantly recognizable Döner paper aesthetic—transforming a local street icon into a wearable expression of dual pride.

Organizations

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Featured

• William Gholston - American-Football-Player

  Christian Blos - Influencer & Cook (@chrisnanoo)

Credits

Robert Zitzmann
Managing Director
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Katja Kraus
Managing Director
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Ronnie Patt
Executive Creative Director
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Alexander Michaelsen
Executive Creative Director
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Martin Strobel
Creative Director Art
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Jakob Rabold
Creative Director Copy
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Jona Schmidt
Art Director
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Louis Mosdzelewski
Copywriter
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Felix Appelfeller
Executive Sponsoring Director
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Anna-Carina Breckweg
Account Director
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Vanessa Horn
Senior Project Manager
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Sebastian Meßmer
Project Manager
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Laurenz Suppra
Working Student
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Melvin Mann
Working Student
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Annika Verborg
Head of Digital
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Sven Beverst
Senior PR Manager
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Larissa Wolf
Social Creative
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Carla Sunder
Trainee Social Media
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Christian Marx
Senior Strategist
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Mirko Praštalo
Strategist
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James Ruth
Chief Marketing Officer
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Christi Bedan
VP, Media & Marketing
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Alissa Jagarnath
Director of Brand and Merchandise
Tampa Bay Buccaneers