The Global Football Brotherhood
It is estimated that more than half of the world’s population are football or soccer fans, whichever one wishes to call them. The sport enjoys an annual viewership of approximately 4 billion people across Europe, Africa, Asia and America.
For Soccer Leagues around the world, live broadcasting television rights are worth astronomical sums of money. Flagship events such as the Football World Cup unquestionably have vastly more TV viewers than any other sporting event on the planet.
As can be expected the huge viewing audiences the sport attracts represents a golden opportunity for many brands to develop a rewarding kinship with the football fan brotherhood.
1. CANAL+, Fuel For Fans
Advertising Agency: BETC, Paris
CANAL+ is the most important premium pay TV channel in France. It specialises in football event coverage and movies and has over 13 million subscribers.
Directed by Bart Timmer, ‘Fuel for Fans’ is an effective expression of the excitement a great game elicits from football lovers. It is an inventively lateral idea, visually very creative and a fun commercial to watch.
2. Heineken, The Dilemma
Advertising Agency: Publicis, Italy
Directed by Giovanni Fantoni Modena, this brand activation for the Roma versus Real Madrid match had to be meticulously planned. There would be no second chance to get it right.
The revelation of the effective outcome is over three minutes long but what makes it such rewarding viewing is that it is genuine. The people involved are not actors, they are for real and the ‘fall guy’s’ humorous reactions one can easily relate to in understanding the genuine dilemma he faces.
3. Carlsberg, Shirt for Shirt Substitution
Advertising Agency: Fold 7, London
This highly effective Carlsberg beer activation was launched on the anniversary of England’s first and only World Cup win.
The campaign involved a unique interactive vending machine to promote the upcoming 2016 UEFA Euro match with England against Russia and was set up in London’s Sheldon Square as a one-day event. 300 replica shirts of the 1996 World Cup football game were given away to England team supporters in a shirt for shirt exchange.
4. Heineken, The Match
Advertising Agency: Wieden+ Kennedy, Amsterdam
Directed by Frederic Bond, this Cannes Lion and Clio awards winner involves an entertaining story about the inventive ways a ship’s crew manages not miss a live broadcast of the UEFA Champions League final.
5. Heineken, The Cliché
Adverising Agency: Publicis Brazil
This meticulously planned Heineken brand activation was directed by Caio Rubini and Fabio Pinheiro with much success.
Three men dining with their girlfriends at a restaurent in São Paulo, Brazil receive invitations from Heineken in their menus to watch the UEFA final between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid ‘undisturbed’ in Milan with all expenses paid.
All they have to do is to persuade their girlfriends to spend four days at a spa with the free vouchers that are provided. The girlfriends agree. However, as the commercial rewardingly reveals, that is not the end of the story.
6. Heineken, ‘The Cliché’ Case Study
See how many goals Heineken scored with viewers.