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2 Minutes With … Christoph Bielefeldt, ECD at 14ft
On how sports can trigger intense emotions on and off the field
Christoph serves as executive creative director at 14ft, the sports business unit of Accenture Song. He is responsible for campaigns backing DAZN, Peloton, Borussia Dortmund, Netflix, sports betting company Bwin, European fashion giant Zalando and the German Olympic Sports Federation.
A 20-year industry veteran, Christoph has held positions within Accenture since 2020. Other work includes Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Nordpol+ and Jung von Matt/Sports.
We spent two minutes with Christoph to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired.
Christoph, tell us …
Where you grew up, and where you live now.
Born in Hamburg, moved to Bremen at six, back to Hamburg at 22, back to Bremen at 33. I’m half Hamburg and half Bremen. In any case, 100 percent North German.
Your earliest sports memory.
Active: Hitting a ball attached to a tennis racket in the garden at around five years old.
Passive: The missed penalty by Werder Bremen player Michael Kutzop in 1986 against Bayern Munich, which cost us the otherwise certain German championship. (The only missed penalty of Kutzop’s professional career, by the way).
Your favorite sports team(s).
As attentive readers have just learned: the German soccer club Werder Bremen.
Your favorite athlete(s).
Looking back, with a bit of nostalgia, Andre Agassi, Michael Jordan and Johan Micoud are high on the list.
Your favorite sports show or podcast.
I especially love HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty for how they managed to capture that ’80s vibe so authentically without seeming silly. It’s a great show. Regarding podcasts, I would recommend Copa TS by Tommi Schmitt to all German-speaking soccer fans.
Your favorite sports movie and/or video game.
The EA Sports FIFA series (now EA Sports FC) has accompanied me over the last few decades. But Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater will also remain in my heart forever. I still play it regularly with my daughter.
A recent project you’re proud of.
“A Hand Ball That Could Save Your Life,” for the German soccer club Borussia Dortmund, from 2023. We’ve drawn attention to the issue of testicular cancer, which has recently been very relevant in Germany, as several Bundesliga stars were diagnosed at almost the same time. One of them was Dortmund’s top striker Sébastien Haller, who has fortunately beaten the cancer.
Someone else’s project that you admired recently.
Heineken’s “Nobody Watches Women’s Football” from LePub. It is so simple, so smart and so humorous. Without pointing fingers or justifying, it proved how relevant women’s football is today, even if some people don’t want to admit it.
What sports can do that nothing else can.
Little or nothing in the world can trigger such positive and intense emotions as sport. And that’s both on an active level and as a fan. That’s why we all love sport so much, and that’s exactly what makes it so attractive for brands.
What you’d be doing if you weren’t in the sports world.
To be honest, I would do pretty much the same thing for other brands—but I would be just a tiny bit less fulfilled in my professional life.
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
