Jung von Matt Recreates Famous ‘Kickers’ Anime Intro for German E-Sport Football Team

Jung von Matt NERD (JvM NERD) launched an AI-generated reinterpretation for Eintracht Spandau of the legendary ‘Ganbare, Kickers!’ intro, an anime series broadcast on German television by channel RTL II in the ‘90s. The campaign mainly targets so-called ‘kidults’ who grew up with the series.

Eintracht Spandau is a German team from Berlin-Spandau. It was founded by German YouTuber Maximilian ‘HandOfBlood’ Knabe in cooperation with the two agencies INSTINCT3 and JvM NERD.

In the spot, the characters from ‘Ganbare, Kickers!’ (also short: ‘Kickers’) are replaced by today's stars of Eintracht Spandau's Baller League team, an indoor football league. The original ‘Kickers’ song was rearranged for the campaign as well.

JvM NERD writes that for many millennials and gen y soccer fans, people who are now approximately age 25 to 44, the ‘Ganbare, Kickers!’ intro is more than just a cartoon – it's a piece of childhood associated with togetherness and RTL II afternoons.

This campaign is a gift to the so-called ‘kidults’: adults who consciously connect with their pop culture socialisation and find emotional identity in it.

Founder of JvM NERD and co-owner of Eintrach Spandau, Toan Nguyen, said: "Our generation grew up with anime like ‘Kickers’ – a series that taught us morals, virtue, fighting spirit, and team spirit. Seeing this intro now with our own players – as co-owners of the club – fills my inner child with incredible pride. I wish I could tell that to my ten-year-old self, who watched the series back then in a social housing apartment in Aachen."

Creative AI studio Taktlos GbR helped bring the piece to life. The sister company of Eintracht Spandau and INSTINCT3 specialises in AI-generated pop culture formats.

Hendrik Ruhe, co-founder of Eintracht Spandau, said: "It's great when everyone is doing something with AI – but mostly just to jump on the trend. We have a real gem here… AI is showing its true potential... as an amplifier of creativity and emotion."

The campaign is available on VHS or linear TV via streaming and on social media.