How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?

For this activation, Excellence in Engagement came to life in two ways: the unique mechanics of how fans participated and the once-in-a-lifetime reward they received from the activation. In a fun, modern way, we offered 1,000 fans a meaningful way to say goodbye to their soccer idol.

For fans, this sets new standards for how brands allow for enhanced engagement, bringing them closer to the overall experience. We hope that through our efforts, we inspire other brands to innovate in similar ways, to think imaginatively about platform integration, and keep telling and promoting the stories which fans care about most.

Objective:

Playing for FC Barcelona for 21 years, Andres Iniesta’s retirement announcement from the club shook the soccer community. beIN SPORTS, the sole broadcaster of his LaLiga matches in the U.S., wanted to connect him with fans once more through the first-of-its-kind virtual, farewell jersey: his jersey personalized with fans’ signatures – a tradition he usually did for his fans.

Strategy & Execution:

As a network, we are always seeking opportunities to engage with our fans at a more intimate level. Soccer being a significant passion point in the lives of our fans, we knew that Iniesta’s retirement from FC Barcelona would have a huge impact on them – particularly to our large Barcelona and Spaniard fanbase. By developing a way for them to bid farewell to their “Capitán”, we positioned ourselves as more than a network delivering news and highlights, but one that wants to build stronger connection between the fans and their favorite players. Across the globe, fans were tweeting and sharing their sentiments over the announcement and expressed gratitude towards his years with Barcelona – we needed to do the same.

In a fully organic, integrated and reactive social activation, we encouraged fans everywhere to virtually sign their signature through Instagram Stories. Fans would take a screenshot of our story, trace their signature – leveraging a tool they were already familiar with using – and then would direct message the image back to us. This interaction was not only native to the platform, but natural and seamless for consumers.

Production

• beIN SPORTS USA
• VMLYR Miami

Credits

Juan Ochoa
Marketing Director
beIN SPORTS

Alex Villada
Marketing Director
beIN SPORTS

Karina de Armas
Senior Marketing Coordinator
beIN SPORTS

Cesar Hernandez
Creative Services Director
beIN SPORTS

Edgar Gomez
Senior Promotions Producer
beIN SPORTS

Omar Saavedra
Promotions Manager
beIN SPORTS

Julian Roca
Managing Director
VMLY&R

Susana Santacoloma
Group Account Director
VMLY&R

Andrea Lopez
Account Supervisor
VMLY&R

Kaitlin Castillo
Assistant Account Executive
VMLY&R

Federico Hauri
Executive Creative Director
VMLY&R

Cristian Duran
Senior Art Director
VMLY&R

Felipe Suarez
Project Management Director
VMLY&R

Nicolas Fernandez
Post Production Supervisor
VMLY&R