CREATIVE BRIEF Who are we talking to? Soccer Enthusiasts. 18 to 30 year-olds who:
• Played soccer competitively growing up, and now participate in club soccer, social leagues. • Don’t watch soccer as often as they play it but love everything about the sport. (They're fans of the sport more than they are fans of any one team.)
• Remember Umbro as a nostalgic brand from their youth, and the desire to play is still very much a part of them. What is the thing we want to tell them? Umbro unites soccer's faithful. What reasons support our position to the larger audience? Once you’re a soccer player, you remain one for life. This is the mentality that true fans of the sport embrace. Though they may have played competitively when they were younger, they continue to play because of the social bonding it allows, whether that’s on the field or at the pub afterwards. Soccer is a way for people to connect. It is the ultimate team sport in the community and camaraderie it creates among its players. Soccer is a universal language that crosses all kinds of boundaries, and can let complete strangers innately understand each other through their shared love of the game. What do we want them to do? We want them to wear Umbro as a symbol of their love of the sport. A soccer fan can identify another true believer by the Umbro they wear. The Umbro Diamond is a badge of honor and a state of mind. What media are involved? Possible media include but aren’t limited to: A strong social component Online / digital / mobile Retail / POS Experiential Ambient
WEB landing page
WEB explaining the Carry the Badge campaign
PRINT explaining the Carry the Badge campaign Yesterday, we released 11 national jerseys in the hometowns of our team’s starters. In one month, they’ll hang in their South African locker room. What happens to them between now and then is up to you. We’re asking all of the players, coaches, and fans in the country to show their love for their team and for the game. We’re asking you to carry the badge of U.S. Soccer from sea to shining sea. We’re asking you to tell our players that they’re not alone against the world. If you love American soccer, apply to CarryTheBadge.com to wear one of those 11 jerseys proudly. Bring a jersey to swap for it, a story to tell our players, and a scoop of dirt from your home field to give our boys a home-field advantage no matter where they play. Pass the jersey along to someone who shares your love of the game, then follow that jersey and the others on CarryTheBadge.com. Almost every time the U.S. Men’s National Team steps on the field, it’s an away game, whether they’re in Mexico City or Chicago. And with that kind of life, they can’t help but feel like no one cares about them leading into the biggest sporting event on Earth. Show them that they’re wrong. Show the world how much the beautiful game means to America.
WEB
WEB showcasing the jersey swap route
WEB explaining the “Carry the Badge” jersey swap
WEB where fans and players can share their support for the U.S. National Team
WEB with U.S. National team info
WEB with World Cup event coverage (events hosted by Umbro)
WEB social network followings the eleven jerseys on their journey across America
OUT OF HOME Cars that will “Carry the Badge” across the U.S.
JERSEYS eleven, one for each starting member of the U.S. team, to be swapped
Fan shirt
JOURNEY KITS that will travel across America with the jerseys
JOURNAL to document the jerseys’ journeys
JOURNAL to document the journey of each jersey across America -including stories, photos, and American “home field” soil
MOBILE app to follow the jerseys on their journey
mobile app/game
mobile app/game
mobile app/game
U.S. WORLD CUP TEAM CHANGE ROOM that showcases the jerseys’ journeys and the fans that Carried the Badge
Team: Tommy Cottam, CBM / Marisa Domenech, AD / Natalie Hammel, CW / Meg Ingraham, CBM / Mike Nichols, CW / Vijay Patil, AD / Don Sticksel, CT / Layne Wilson, CS