2014 Winners & Shortlists

The Brief

2 years after the Arab Spring, tensions remained in Tunisia. For security reasons, the Government decided that all professional Football League games would be played without any audience in stadiums. Forcing teams and their fans into a frustrating long distance relationship. At the end of a football season with average results, Historical Tunis team C.S Hammam-Lif faced a critical situation. Ties with their fans had eroded. And the year's most important game was approaching: the one that would decide whether the Club would stay in the First League. More than ever, CSHL needed to reconnect with its fans.

Creative Execution

To re-inforce our relationship with our fans, mobile allowed us to bypass an unsolvable problem and reconnect them to the team. The 12th man app turned phones, which were only used to discuss games, into a tool to influence the result of the game. By allowing fans to do what they were not allowed to do anymore- cheer for their team-, we empowered them again. And re-invented, for them, the football viewing experience. Vice versa, the app gave C.S.H.L the support it needed to win the crucial game and positioned the club as one that truly cares about its fans.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

To reconnect the fans with the Club, we allowed supporters to cheer for their team without being in the stadium. With a downloadable mobile application that connects every fan to 40 giant speakers placed inside the stadium during the game: the 12th man app. The app enables fans to support their team inside the stadium while watching the game live on TV. A simple tap on sound icons is instantly turned into powerful support: cheering, clapping, drumming, singing... The more fans press on the icons, the louder the sound in the stadium.

Results

In a stadium with a capacity of 12.000, the app brought together 93.100 fans, with 1.2 million others watching the game. Energized by the support of their fans, C.S Hammam-Lif won by 1-0, securing their place in the league. A virtual experience became real and turned football into a real event again. Finally, it made Headline news.