Title	ESCORT MEN
Brand	FOOTBALL CLUB ZÜRICH WOMEN
Product/Service	UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GAME
Category	A02. Use of Live Shows/Concerts/Festivals
Entrant Company	FREUNDLICHE GRüSSE Zürich, SWITZERLAND
Advertising Agency	FREUNDLICHE GRüSSE Zürich, SWITZERLAND
Production Company	TALLYHO! Zürich, SWITZERLAND

Name	Company	Position
Pascal Deville	Freundliche Grüsse	Creative Director
Samuel Textor	Freundliche Grüsse	Creative Director
Michael Benz	Freundliche Grüsse	Strategy/Consulting
Tamar Hächler	Freundliche Grüsse	Project Manager
Pascal Deville	Freundliche Grüsse	Art Direction
Samuel Textor	Freundliche Grüsse	Copywriting
Tom Kolinski	TallyHo!	Director
Daryl Hefti	Independent	Director Of Photography
Jafaris Mustafa	Independent	Illustrator
Florian Götze	Departement of Noise	Sound Design Arrangement
Christian Bisang	Soundtracker	Sound Recording

The Brief

The target audience was broad and heterogenic. Of course, the primary target were men - the football fan group number one. But also everyone interested in Football, that never gave Women's Football a chance. Not only your typical football fan, but men, women, kids and families alike – most of them unaware of the quality of women’s football. We needed a story for all stakeholders. In the absence of any budget, we needed a one-time event that would make it's way into the media, and reach the broad target audience.

Campaign Success

Seven days prior to kick-off the teaser film was released to the press and interviews were given. At the same time, the website www.begleitmaenner.ch was launched where men could apply to become an Escort Man. After two days stories with applicants were released on print, radio and online. Overwhelmed by the quantity of the applications, the process had to be stopped and a new film (saying - thank you, but please don't apply anymore) was put online. After the 11 «Escort Men» were selected by the Womens team and announced by another press release, exclusive stories of the chosen-ones were published on newspapers and radio. The game itself was covered by local, national and international TV-stations, newspapers and radio.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

This media stunt brought 10 times more spectators than on a usual game day (4112 spectators, vs. 100-200). It brought unknown attention to the FCZ Women, thanks to over 2 Millions of Earned Media. After this stunt, the overall media attention covering games of the FCZ women increased, including constant live coverage half a year later, and they were approached by new sponsors. Within 2 days: Over 50’000 unique page visits. 50’000 views for the recruitment Film, more than 1’500 application. Then the application was stopped. Media coverage: - Print: 13 articles (70% with picture) in many of the country’s biggest newspapers (Blick, 20 Minuten, NZZ, Tages-Anzeiger etc.) - Online/Mobile: 30 articles (95 % with pictures and/or video) - TV: 3 appearances - Radio: 3 appearances

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

FC Zurich Women, the top Swiss Womens football team, qualified for the UEFA Champions League in October 2014. However, the media barely took notice and the big game threatened to become a closed session. We had to find a way of spreading the news in order to increase the number of spectators assisting the game. With very little budget to use, we had to use a one-time promotional approach involving the upcoming Champions League game. To give media something to talk about we had to come up with a powerful idea: For the first time in history, not kids were to escort the women onto the pitch, but grown men. The online appeal for Escort Men went through the media like wildfire: TV Stations, Print and online media helped to bring attention. Finally, the game attracted 4'112 spectators instead of 200 fans that usually come to see League games.