Title	POWERFUL SUPPORT: G-DRIVE’S MATCHDAY SPONSORSHIP
Brand	ZENIT FOOTBALL CLUB
Product/Service	G-DRIVE
Category	D04. Brand Integration & Sponsorship / Partnership
Entrant	FC ZENIT Saint Petersburg, RUSSIA
Idea Creation	FC ZENIT Saint Petersburg, RUSSIA
Media Placement	FC ZENIT Saint Petersburg, RUSSIA
PR	FC ZENIT Saint Petersburg, RUSSIA
Production	FC ZENIT Saint Petersburg, RUSSIA
Post Production	FC ZENIT Saint Petersburg, RUSSIA
Additional Company	FC ZENIT Saint Petersburg, RUSSIA

Name	Company	Position
Zhanna Dembo	Football Club Zenit	Producer of PR-campaign
Elena Lytkina	Football Club Zenit	Manager of PR-campaign
Artem Petrov	Football Club Zenit	Media-officer of the Project
Polina Aleksandrova	Football Club Zenit	Manager of the live event
Alexey Nikolaev	PJSC "Gazprom Neft" (brand G-Drive)	Manager of PR-campaign from sponsor
Yana Belyakova	PJSC "Gazprom Neft" (brand G-Drive)	Producer of PR-campaign from sponsor

Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

Zenit Football Club are the holders of every Russian trophy and European silverware too! Zenit are now more than a team. The club has the best training facilities in the country, with a top level academy. The club has become a symbol of St.Petersburg, with Zenit being not only a team, but an embodiment of sport. We have Zenit-2, youth teams and even a basketball team. The team can became the embodiment of the Northern Capital through its authenticity, cultural heritage and forward-looking optimism. We are part of St.Petersburg’s entertainment options for both the family and children.

Background

The club has great partners due to our high brand recognition, a huge loyal audience and a team of professionals in various areas. These are the guarantees that the partner will receive exactly those options that fully meet its making objectives. The club's championship win in 2020/21 all came down to the match in the 28th round, Zenit v Lokomotiv on 2 May at the Gazprom Arena. Zenit would take the title in the event of a draw or win over Lokomotiv, which means that all preparations for the celebration of the championship were fully completed. Our key partner, G-drive signed up for the rights to have sponsorship rights on matchday. This deal includes the right to have promotion on the pitch and around the perimeter of the stadium. The main concept of the deal was in the form of traditional free entertainment pre-match programme - the Fan Promenade!

Describe the creative idea

The sponsorship deal with G-Drive, one of our key partners, was organized especially for our last home match and the potential championship game. The idea was to promote their high-tech premium fuel, the main product of our G-drive partners. This PR project went with the slogan Powerful Support for the campaign. This creative visual campaign was developed especially for our partners and was integrated into all pre-match online activities across all official club media resources. The club organized extra interactive venues within the Fan Promenade, including a large street and the exhibition of the Gagarin Cup. The campaign was integrated into the Pro Zenit pre-match broadcast and the production was branded with G-Drive design elements for the broadcast and around the studio. Offline activities also took place on 2 May 2021 at the Gazprom Arena as part of the championship match with FC Lokomotiv.

Describe the strategy

All the guests at the stadium were greeted by their favorite Zenit songs performed by NEP and Brigade Contract during a rock concert with headliner – Animal Jazz Band as part of our Fan Promenade. Games and activities with prize raffles also took place as part of the festivities and fans took part in a large-scale performance before the start of the match. There was a wish box where fans could leave messages and say hello to the players and wish good luck in the upcoming game, and many of which we broadcasted live on the PROZenit online show. The supporters were also greeted by the top ice hockey trophy in a special photo zone with the Gagarin Cup and a real racing car of the team G-Drive Racing became one of the partner zones on the Fan Promenade as well as club legend Konstantin Zyryanov and Dakar Rally champions

Describe the execution

On-line As part of the Powerful support PR campaign the club's social networks went all out with G-Drive branding: May 1: Publication of upcoming events. May 2: - Matchday poster, - Gagarin Cup photo zone notification - Announcement of the PROZenit online show - Rock concert, autograph session announcements - Team photo under the sponsors logo, banner - PROZenit online to be broadcast with the sponsors branding integrated into visual concept. May 3-8: - Promotional video about the championship Fan Promenade, - Photo report of championship match - Republication of the live PROZenit online show Offline During the match sponsors promo videos were broadcast on the stadium screens, around the screens on the stadium perimeter. The partner's logos and corporate color were at various activities for fans in the stadium halls. Also present were postcards for the autograph session, games, a photo zone, stadium maps, other sponsored gifts for fans.

Describe the outcome

The total coverage within Zenit’s media-resources was 200 publications and 7,000,000 coverage. The total coverage in the media was 7,400,000. 28 publications in the media, seven with a positive outlook, 20 with a neutral outlook tone and one with a negative outlook. Within the regional media there were 16 publications and 12 nationally.