The Brief

The target audience was new customers, but who had been low affinity to "Wining Eleven". “Winning Eleven” is the top-selling TV football game in Japan. Although Fantasistas like Messi, Torres and Cristiano Ronaldo appear in the ad, the game’s popularity among high school students had declined, since Fantasistas are players to strive for, and quite distant. There was a need to build a bond with high school football players, who are the future target.

Creative Execution

Football is the most popular club sport among high school students.High school teams were offered the chance to win professionally designed and custom-made team color items.This allowed"Winning Eleven” to show support for the teams and share the team spirit with the high-school football players. The gift arrived before high school graduation, when Japanese students deepen ties with schoolmates.The students wrote messages on the flag on Graduation Day, and this flag would become a memorabilia that will stay on the wall.This was consistent with the brand's goal of supporting “teamwork.”

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

School clubs were given a chance to win custom-made team colour flags. This would allow “Winning Eleven” to share the team spirit with the high school football players. The aim was to convey to high school football players,that “Winning Eleven” is a brand that supports their team spirits. Students were asked to write passionately about their club. And 16 clubs that expressed the strongest passion would be selected.Based on their team colors, professionally designed flags were made for the winning clubs And on the flag, was a message from “Winning Eleven”specially written for the team, based on their passionate description.

Results

Although announcement of the campaign was through mobile and free football magazine only, applications arrived from 700 schools, which is 25% of all high schools in Japan.The document TV commercial of one winning club of the campaign was played 75,000 times on YouTube in only 2weeks. 73% of teennagers answered“Winning Eleven is a brand for me”and 78% of teenagers answered“I want to play Winning Eleven in the Future”in the sarvey after this campaign. The brand image of “Winning Eleven” improved drastically among high-school students.This campaign was much more effective than using Fantasita in ads.