90min Fan Van

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

Since its launch over a decade ago, 90min has been dedicated to showcasing every element of global football through the lens of the fan—from the experience in the stands to the conversations around trades to the aftermath of the biggest tournaments—for both the men's and women's game.

Thus, The FanVan was born.

How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”?

Global soccer fans are one of the most passionate sports groups in the world, and they are constantly looking to get closer to the action. However, with budget, and time constraints many cannot afford to consistently travel to games let alone major tentpole events such as the Women’s Euros. It's this desire to be close to the sport they love that has encouraged sports media companies to create more, and more content around the beautiful game—but articles and videos on the players, teams, and matches can only go so far.

90min’s Fan Van broke the mold of traditional tournament coverage by providing audiences a window through which they could get as close to the action as possible—seeing fan interactions outside of the stadiums, reliving the best moments of the matches with influencers on the drive to the next match, and experiencing the adrenaline and excitement of the tournament—all through their desktop and/or phone screens.

And not only did this content get fans ‘into’ the tournament, it also showed that women’s football is just as exciting as its male counterpart and that its fans are just as passionate, dedicated and hungry for content, further proving the need for bigger and better coverage for this subsect of the beautiful game.

Objective

In the early days of 90min, we noticed a disturbing pattern that women's football received far less attention than the men's game, for no other reason than the unconscious bias that exists in sports against female athletes, teams, and leagues. So, as a brand built by lovers of the game regardless of gender, 90min set out to cover the women’s game with as much passion, resources, time, and effort as the sport deserves.

This dedication continued in 2022 as 90min looked to create innovative, fan-focused content around the Women’s Euros. One of the biggest tournaments in the year, the Women’s Euros saw thousands of fans traveling across the UK to see their women’s teams compete for the championship, and 90min wanted to leverage their position in the market to not only cover this important tentpole, but to actively amplify and promote the women’s game to encourage investment from the industry even after the tournament concluded. Thus, The Fan Van was born.

Strategy & Execution

The Fan Van saw influencers Sophie and Rachel from ‘Girls on the Ball’ drive over 3,000 miles across the UK, visiting every host city—starting at the opening game at Old Trafford and ending their journey at Wembley Stadium—meeting fans and players from every competing nation, all while providing daily video content for 90min’s audience. Having attended 20 games in a 26 day period, The Fan Van captured all of the tournament’s biggest moments bringing fans closer to the action and the infectious atmosphere of the games.

By following the Fan Van, both in reality and online on 90min’s social channels, audiences were able to insert themselves into the Women’s Euros, reliving the best in-game moments, cheering alongside other fans and celebrating the incredible women competing on a global stage.

In addition to connecting with fans, 90min also leveraged the Fan Van to boost conversations around women’s sports by featuring Sophie and Rachel on the brand’s female-focused podcast, ‘90min Talks’ and having the van make an appearance at the Equality Summit, hosted by 90min’s partner Equal Playing Field, with the goal of changing perceptions of the women’s game and media coverage of the competition.

Organizations

• 90min
• Girls on the Ball
• Volkswagen

Featured Creators

• Rachel O'Sullivan
• Sophie Downey

Credits

90min
90min

Rachel O'Sullivan
Co-Founder & Creator
Girls on the Ball

Sophie Downey
Co-Founder & Creator
Girls on the Ball