ENGAGING GEN Z FOOTBALL FANS BY GIVING ASTON VILLA'S 1982 EUROPEAN ANNIVERSARY A NEW GAMIFIED LOOK
THE IDEA
An Instagram Lens and TikTok campaign, built to engage young fans aged 13-17 and make them care about a story their parents and grandparents talk about.
Rather than looking back at a grainy (and poor broadcast) view of football in the 80s that today’s Gen-Z couldn’t care for, we looked at recent cultural references and views of the 80s fuelled by colour, vibrancy, and gaming!
We created 18 bespoke cards with a combination of 3D texturing and illustration, giving players and anecdotes from the time a modern look-from the iconic Aston Villa kits to the stars of the team.
Upon use of the filter, users would spin a rotating wheel containing the cards above their head. Those who landed on the iconic golden card, the iconic white jersey from Aston Villa's 1982 European Cup Final triumph, could then upload their screen recording to a portal for the chance to win two Villa Park season tickets for 2022/23.
THE EXECUTION
Our kick-ass design and technical teams merged to create a highly unique Instagram filter made up of 18 different card designs.
Using a mix of 3D texturing and illustration treatments, we created visually stunning assets that Villa fans could admire and interact with a simple smile allowing them to flip the card and reveal the detail of the card.
The filter structure was built to randomise throughout user experiences, with the golden card that unlocked entry into the season ticket competition programmed to appear rarer in comparison. If successful, users received their instructions on screen to submit via the competition entry portal.
Filter Opens
7,000+
Over 7,000 Villa fans who directly interacted with the IG Reels
Video Views
766,000
That's a lot of Gen-Z eyeballs!
Engagement Rate
8.7%
A solid figure considering we brought 1980's content into modern platforms.
OUR TROPHY CABINET
THE CHALLENGE
Aston Villa appointed AND THE NEW after a competitive pitch process to bring to life a campaign aimed at the club's Gen Z supporter base ahead of its 40th anniversary of their famous European Cup win in 1982.
Villa wanted to create a campaign that was relevant to its younger fan base and incentivised them to engage directly with the club allowing them to better understand this target audience for future marketing. But the challenge was steep... how do you make younger fans care about something they’ve been “force-told” by their parents and grandparents for years. How do you go from “okay boomer!” to “”
Hence, 'We Even Conquered Europe' was born.
