It is the year of soccer…again!
One of the biggest passions in the world, and one of the few sports that keeps growing audiences across the World year after year. Soccer fans are very engaged and highly coveted consumers by many brands. Outside of the most traditional, obvious, and well known soccer ads, here are some of the greatest, and not so well known examples of soccer used as a mean or an end in advertising.
Client: Atletico de Madrid
Title: “Me mata. Me da la vida” (It kills me, it gives me life)
Agencia: Sra. Rushmore (Spain)
Why do we like it? It leverages one of the most known nick names of Atlético fans (“sufferers”) to celebrate it as a point of pride. Nothing better than taking a negative and making it the positive central point of the message.
Client: Blood Donor Program. Brazil
Title: Mi Sangre es Roja y Negra
Why do we like it? Soccer fans feel their colors, defend their colors, vibrate with their colors. Entering a taboo area of giving up their colors is a powerful statement, put to the service of a fantastic cause. In addition, it is participative and it establishes a common goal. What is not to like?
Client: Adidas
Title: Haters (Offensive)
Ad Agency: Iris
Why do we like it? Again, it takes a natural but shameful aspect of the game (fans hate) and make it a positive: fight to be the point of other’s envy. The music and sound effects, the combination of different looks and styles, the “manifesto” rap script, these all contribute to connect with the demo and make it a memorable piece.
Client: Coca-Cola
TItle: Rivalries
Ad Agency: Santos Buenos Aires (regional adaptations by diverse agencies)
Why do we like it? It s bringing the Coke message of friendship across the world with a relevant, organic, and heart warming style. A bulls eye.
Client: Pepsi
Title: “Not your Day”
Agency: ALMAP/BBDO (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Why do we like it? It is a classic. It brings the power of a soccer celebrity and combines it with a kid’s bold attitude to make fun of a previous version -in American Football- that went into a more traditional and predictable direction.
H&S
While you can expect the soccer celebrity to increase awareness and likability of the product, the spot makes an awkward connection between soccer and the product that does not feel relevant to soccer fans or the product itself. The collectible set in this space is just another questionable idea.
While leaving the soccer theme out, the brand decided to revise the spot to create a connection that is much more authentic, relevant and natural. A step into a right direction.