Best Club Marketing
WINNER
Everton FC – More Than Eleven
As the world faced the pandemic, and football was dealing with its impact on sponsorship, marketing and activation, Everton and new technical partner hummel sought to deliver a first for football – a ground-breaking non-player led kit launch that showcased hummel’s commitment to investing in Club charity Everton in the Community, and saw players from Everton in the Community’s Disability programme (celebrating its 20th anniversary) – become the focus. This activation was part of the wider ‘More Than Eleven’ 2020/21 campaign, spotlighting the strong bond between Everton – The People’s Club – and its worldwide community whose role is vital to Everton’s success. Each kit launch reflected a different aspect of the strong relationship between fans and Club. The strategy was to undertake a wholly online launch, using insight and research to underpin each kit creative and deliver an integrated campaign. By using the challenges to focus a campaign in a digitally innovative and agile way, Everton and hummel delivered the Club’s three best-selling kits of all time. More Than Eleven embedded hummel into the Everton Family, and consolidated the unbreakable bond between fans, players and the Club when this sense of family was needed most.
SILVER
AFC Wimbledon, Plough Lane Bond campaign – Cake
AFC Wimbledon is one of the world’s most famous fan-owned football clubs. After the original Wimbledon FC had to leave Plough Lane the fans decided to start over at the lowest level of English football.
The club has made incredible progress and after six promotions is now in League One. However, there was one final hurdle the club faced – getting back to their spiritual home Plough Lane.
The Dons Trust – fan-owners of AFC Wimbledon – hoped to raise £3 million from fans and investors, within one month to maintain fan control and help fund the final phase of construction.
Cake were up for the challenge – our Plough Lane Bond campaign was split into two phases:
1. A targeted AFC Wimbledon fan-focused awareness campaign
2. A media launch to engage the wider football community and investors nationally
Results
• We engaged AFC Wimbledon fans, harnessing their passion for the club to raise £2 million
• The media launch raised £1.5m in one week
• The £3m target was smashed, reaching almost £5.5m within the initial deadline
• This has made history by being the biggest every single bond raised by a football club
BRONZE
Bradford City FC
Bradford is the fifth largest metropolitan district and one of the most ethnically diverse communities within England. The Club wanted to use its stature to encourage a positive and welcoming environment both within the Club’s fanbase and wider Bradford district.
CityForAll centres around Bradford City’s four pillars to be ambitious, welcoming, affordable and proud. The campaign plays a large part in Bradford City providing a safe, inclusive community where all fans feel comfortable supporting the Club and attending their games, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or age.
Supporters, players and officials were shot talking about their stories to share their experiences and pride in being a City supporter. There is a diverse range of people including former players, the Club chairman in Berlin, to the involvement of celebrity supporters such as Zayn Malik – to constantly cement the feeling that City is for everyone, no matter what your personal circumstances are or background.
CityForAll works across the Club’s Season Ticket campaign, kit launch and social media campaigns. Stories are told and recorded in various different locations from a football environment to a home setting.
We are one family, the Bantams family.
