Title | EARN THE JERSEY |
Brand | ADIDAS |
Product/Service | SWEDISH NATIONAL TEAM JERSEY (ADIDAS) |
Category |
G07. Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility |
Entrant
|
M&C SAATCHI Stockholm, SWEDEN
|
Idea Creation
|
M&C SAATCHI Stockholm, SWEDEN
|
PR
|
PART PROJECTS Stockholm, SWEDEN
|
Production
|
CROSBY Stockholm, SWEDEN
|
Post Production
|
CROSBY Stockholm, SWEDEN
|
Additional Company
|
ADIDAS Solna, SWEDEN
|
Additional Company 2
|
STREAM NORDIC Stokholm, SWEDEN
|
Credits
Kristina Annehed |
M&C Saatchi Stockholm |
Account Director |
Linus Larsson |
M&C Saatchi Stockholm |
Account Manager |
Klara Eide |
M&C Saatchi Stockholm |
Executive Strategy Director |
Linda Elers |
M&C Saatchi Stockholm |
Creative Director |
Henrik Almqvist |
M&C Saatchi Stockholm |
Creative Director |
Arvid Klintberg |
M&C Saatchi Stockholm |
Art Director |
Fanny Klefelt |
M&C Saatchi Stockholm |
Copywriter |
Yrla Persson |
M&C Saatchi Stockholm |
Social Media Manager |
Josefin Löfgren |
M&C Saatchi Stockholm |
Social Media Manager |
Alexander Hedström |
M&C Saatchi Stockholm |
Graphic Designer |
Anton Hååg |
M&C Saatchi Stockholm |
Graphic Designer |
Qaroline Nähl |
Adidas |
Nordic Brand Communications Manager - Football |
Henrik Hallberg |
Adidas |
Nordic Senior PR & Newsroom Manager - Football |
Anders Goding |
Adidas |
Sports Marketing Manager - Football |
Karolina Lander |
Adidas |
PR & Content Manager - Sweden |
Petrus Olsson |
Crosby |
Director/Photographer |
Caroline Sandberg |
Crosby |
Executive Producer |
Mattias Nilsson |
Crosby |
Photographer |
Gabriel Söderbladh |
Crosby |
Photographer |
Max Larsson |
Crosby |
DOP |
Arttu Kontkanen |
Crosby |
Sound Design |
Christian Johansson |
Crosby |
Production Assistant |
Kristoffer Lindskog |
Crosby |
Editor |
John Buddee |
Crosby |
Grading |
Sari Bohlin |
Crosby |
Retouch |
Misha Klim |
Red pipe |
Sound Production |
Joanna Sundström |
Part Projects |
PR |
Hedda Nyström |
Part Projects |
PR |
Jonas Edholm |
Stream Nordic |
Factor |
John Müllersdorf |
Stream Nordic |
Factor |
Why is this work relevant for PR?
With zero media budget, this whole campaign was relying on PR.
We needed to create buzz and engagement around the new National team jersey for Sweden, but quickly realized that we needed to do something more interesting than just showing the new design. Instead, we made the jersey into a statement and something people would want to be associated with, taking a stand against a current issue in Sweden and the football/supporter culture.
Our plan worked. We had a media reach of over 26 million in Sweden alone and received massive attention and acknowledgement globally.
Background
With EURO 2020 coming up, adidas needed a campaign to create hype around the release of the new Swedish national team jersey - and adidas as a brand. With no media budget, they asked for an activating PR based idea that could spread organically among supporters.
It had to be something aligned with adidas as an inclusive brand, and it had to be interesting and engaging enough to spread by itself - without being too political or provocative.
In the last years, Swedish football has been shook by reports of violence, hatred and threats against players, referees and supporters - often with racist motifs. We decided to address the issue. As a diverse country, we can all unite by celebrating our National team. And it felt more important and right than ever, since EURO for the first time ever would be hosted by 12 different countries together.
Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)
Our creative idea was based on two insights: 1. A true supporter should actually be supportive. 2. The players need to earn the right to wear a National team jersey. But supporters can just buy it. And behave badly while wearing it.
That lead to our thought: what if you only got to wear the jersey if you would honor it? We decided that we'd launch a jersey that comes with terms and conditions - so that you had to accept them before being able to buy it.
The terms and conditions were printed on the tag and communicated through a film where key players read the conditions out loud and promised to agree to them. We deliberately made it very low key, far from ordinary "cool sports commercials". We also provided headlines for retailers to use: A TRUE SUPPORTER SUPPORTS, OUR DIFFERENCES MAKE THE DIFFERENCE, EARN THE JERSEY.
Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)
Since EURO is not only for hardcore football fans, but something that engages the whole nation, we wanted a broad and including theme - but interesting enough to be spread organically. We needed an engaging idea, that was controversial without being excluding, and that people would want to be part of.
In order to reach a broad audience, we had to get three target groups on board: retailers, journalists and, of course, our players. And we needed to create material that could easily be used in media and spread socially.
To get the players onboard, we presented the idea in person - and since it was a message they were happy to stand behind, they agreed to participate. And with high profile players in the campaign, it was easier getting both retailers to use the material and journalists to write about it.
We also seeded jerseys to a few influencers.
Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)
Our timeline was based on three phases, starting with the first phase in November 2019, where the jersey would be launched.
The two following phases would be closer to EURO 2020, but since the championship was postponed due to Covid-19, they weren't realized.
Around the launch, we released the film, seeded jerseys to influencers and created a PR kit and material for retailers to use. We posted the film online and our players helped spread it. Then it was liked and spread by fans. The PR-kit was picked up by numerous reporters, who didn't only help us launch the jersey but actually spread the important message behind it.
The coach of the National team, Janne Andersson, were interviewed about the campaign on TV and praised it, and several of the highly profiled players also talked warmly about it in interviews.
The campaign was hugely appreciated both in and outside Sweden.
List the results (30% of vote)
The media investment was close to zero.
In Sweden alone (a country of 10 million people), we reached 26 million impressions, with a value of more than 11 million SEK.
We managed to get 9 out of 10 of the titles on adidas’ wish list to pick up the story and write about it.
And may of the influences we approached chose to post about the campaign, even though they weren't compensated for it.
However, due to the fact that EURO 2020 was postponed, we haven't seen the results of the campaign fully yet regarding sales, brand heat etc.
Please tell us how the brand purpose inspired the work
Adidas as a brand stands for inclusiveness and diversity, and part of the brief was finding an idea that aligned with adidas’ values and beliefs.
The brand position for adidas football is “Sport is central to every culture and society and is core to an individual’s health and happiness. Therefore, we believe that, through sport, we have the power to change lives.” That last part, we really took as an invitation to do something bigger and more important than an ordinary campaign to release a jersey. We wanted to steer football and supporter culture back to it’s core: love, respect and inclusiveness.