As they waited to welcome the players, BVB legends Karl-Heinz Riedle and Lars Ricken set out to discover Tokyo.
In preparation for the team’s arrival, the BVB truck toured the Japanese capital to spread the message of ‘Echte Liebe’.
The Borussia Dortmund stars are used to big crowds, playing as they do in front of 81,359 fans at the Signal Iduna Park. But nothing could have prepared them for the welcome they received.
BVB fans turned out to welcome the team at Haneda Airport
Viewers tuned in our Periscope to watch the arrival live
Local hero Shinji Kagawa met with the press and was presented as the cover star of EA Sports’ FIFA ’16 in Asia. Meanwhile, the players were put through their paces in training under the watchful eye of new coach Thomas Tuchel … and thousands of fans.
Alongside football courses and fun and games with club mascot EMMA, young fans in Japan got to meet members of BVB’s Champions League-winning side Lars Ricken and Karl-Heinz Riedle as the BVB Evonik soccer school threw open its doors.
The fans got even closer to their favourite stars in a series of meet-and-greet sessions organised by club partners Evonik, HIS, PUMA, EA Sports and Lawson.
BVB shirts sold
(Evonik & Lawson activity)
Japanese fans got to meet their heroes
BVB ran out 6-0 winners in the first friendly of the tour against J-League side Kawasaki Frontale in front of 30,000 jubilant fans. Shinji Kagawa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang both grabbed a brace, Maruoka and Stankovic completed the scoring.
The match sold out within a day
viewers tuned in to watch live on Asahi TV
The team moved on to Singapore for the second leg of the journey. And it was certainly a case of business before pleasure with a tough workout in the training session at Geylang Stadium.
The players received another rapturous welcome in Singapore. Over 1,000 fans turned up at the airport and more than 60 media representatives from across south-east Asia came to hear what Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gündogan had to say…
The BVB gala evening at Singapore’s highest rooftop bar 1-Altitude attracted 250 high-profile guests from the world of business, politics, media and sport.
It is really breath-taking. You just want to stand outside and look around. I won’t forget it in a hurry.
New location – almost identical scenes: Hundreds of adoring fans descended on the team hotel in Malaysia to welcome their heroes.
The players headed to the Puma store in Johor Bahru for a meet-and-greet. Next stop: a visit at the Grace Covenant Community Care centre.
Malaysians took the opportunity to meet their favourite players
media representatives came to the press conference
The friendly against Johor Southern Tigers was billed “the most anticipated match of the year”. The atmosphere was electric and Borussia’s performance was just as thrilling as the team recorded a 6-1 victory. And in addition to a sold-out stadium, over 500,000 watched the game live on TV.
It is an absolute highlight for the people here and one which they may only experience once. It makes us happy to make the people here happy.
After the team returned to Singapore before heading home, there was one last opportunity for supporters to meet the players in an open session at the Weston Outlet.
fans got to meet their favourite BVB players in Singapore
autographs were handed out
giveaways were distributed
Borussia Dortmund’s special relationship with South-East Asia is now officially set in stone! A lavish ceremony with high-profile guests accompanied the opening of the new permanent BVB office in Singapore.
Six days in the Far East, clocking up some 25,000 kilometres all-told: it was a demanding schedule but the players collected a wealth of unforgettable experiences as they immersed themselves into local
culture.
The trip made a real lasting impression on the club and the region alike. The fans had caught the BVB bug. So much so, that Lars Ricken returned for soccer school courses for over 80 children in Singapore.
Logo appearance on all press backdrops, sponsor displays, press conferences, Asia Tour shirt and at escort kids for both friendlies
fans got to meet the players at 6 different EVONIK events
BVB fans could follow EVONIK Asia Tour events on social media
children took part in the BVB soccer school in Singapore
Extended coverage in international media like The Straits Times Singapore, Today, The New Paper, Channel News Asia, ESPN Asia, FourFour Two
verified press articles regarding the tour in Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Germany
verified articles in Japanese newspapers, magazines etc.
countries on 5 different continents with TV rights allocation
households technical reach
Facebook contacts per day in Japan, Singapore & Malaysia
revenues via merchandising partner VRI
jerseys sold by Puma and other BVB platforms
It was an overwhelming tour –
we want to say
for your time, patience,
passion & love
