2010 Winners & Shortlists

Results and Effectiveness

Out of more than 2800 spectators, 348 fans created the artwork, which was later displayed at the official Visa fan zone during the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi. Thousands of fans from around the world stopped by the billboard to take photos. The press noticed. During and after the event the project was featured on both English and Arabic news channels across the region. The billboard is now back at Dubai International Academic City, where the fans made it. A financial brand managed to show young, cynical card users, its engaging side. Fans shaped the brand’s communication and made it their own.

Creative Execution

‘soccer meets art’ is an unconventional media arts project designed to engage young football fans on their own turf. This one-day event was held at Dubai International Academic City, a neighborhood of 13 universities, where Fans spent the day kicking paint-soaked sponge footballs on to a blank 5 x 2.5 meter canvas billboard. The invitation to create something this unique couldn’t be delivered by cold offset prints. Each poster announcing the event was hand painted. A few days before the event we stirred up the student lunch hour with live poster painting stunt in a glass kiosk. Facebook and youtube event pages extended the campaign online, inviting fans to get ready to come out and play.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Visa’s global FIFA partnership platform, ‘go fans’, celebrates the football fans before the game. Therefore Visa wanted to take their communication beyond the conventions of indifferent sponsorship behavior and invite fans to take part in the brand’s communication. If die-hard football fans live for the action, we had to let them play. We had to design a shared experience that celebrates what Visa and young fans both happen to enjoy: the art of football.