Background
The final qualifier for the World Cup was a must-win for the Japan national football team to earn a berth in the tournament. As an official sponsor and supplier, Adidas wanted to turn the game between Japan and Jordan on 26 March into an opportunity to connect with its audience using football as the unifying theme.
Aim
Adidas’ objective was to generate dynamic connections among audiences through an event that unites and engages football fans throughout Japan and the rest of the world in support of the Japan national team.
Execution
On match day, adidas created an interactive projection 200 metres above the ground in Roppongi, Tokyo.
Fans accessed the campaign site through smartphones and logged in with their Facebook accounts. By using GPS and the compasses built into smartphones, fans could virtually ‘throw in’ a soccer ball towards the projection, which showed a massive video of the national team's star forward and Manchester United player, Shinji Kagawa.
When Kagawa received the ball and made a shot on goal, the thrower’s Facebook profile photo and support message would be projected.
The virtual experience of assisting Kagawa enabled football fans to be part of the team. The campaign was supported by online banner ads, social media and PR activities. A promotion teaser video was posted on YouTube and the campaign site on 22 March.
Results
The teaser video received 19,043 views on YouTube.
At the event, 11,700 different projection patterns, which changed according to the direction, distance and strength of the throw, were created. Within the first five minutes of the game, more than 1,000 virtual soccer balls and more than 1,000 messages were received from not only Japan but also around the world.
Based on the campaign website pageviews and social-media posts, including Facebook and Twitter, more than 500,000 people participated in the event.
CREDITS
Title Adidas the highest goal
Ad agency TBWA\HAKUHODO
Production company ROBOT Communications inc.＋Rights apartment inc.＋IMG SRC inc.
Executive creative director Kazoo Sato
Associate creative director Takahiro Hosoda
Copy writer Motonori Sugiyama
Art director Hirohumi Nakajima, Keisuke Shimizu
Experience designer Kaname Aratame
