Footballer Lionel Messi brings massive fanbase to new video game launch
EA Sports has partnered with Dare Vancouver on Tuesday’s global launch of FIFA Street, a video game that taps into the real-world game of street soccer and is promoted by EA’s newly signed cover athlete, Lionel Messi.
It’s the first time Dare has worked with EA (Electronic Arts). The initial activation video was shot on the streets of Sao Paolo and created in six languages by co-creative directors Rob Sweetman and Bryan Collins.
Unlike regular soccer, a street game is less about rules and more about tricks and fancy play. The entire launch campaign is run through social media channels Youtube, Twitter and Facebook.
It features a contest where consumers from around the world are invited to upload 30-second street soccer videos and fans are asked to vote on the best clips via a Facebook page and App. After the contest closes April 2, four real-world soccer stars – Steve Mandanda, Jack Wilshere, Bafétimbi Gomis and Xabi Alonso – will narrow down the choices to two, and Messi will choose the winner April 9.
Jamie McKinlay, senior global marketing director for EA Sports, said there are two target audiences: the current FIFA gamer that enjoys an authentic soccer experience and the street soccer player, who owns a console but may not have played a game in the past.
“This campaign celebrates the culture and gives real-world street footballers a chance to showcase their moves on a global platform for all to see and rate,” he said. “The added bonus of having Messi judge those skills at the end provides another layer of appeal, and validates the place of street football on the global stage.”
Sweetman said the video contest taps into an existing trend among street players, who often showcase their moves online. “It’s not just defining a small market,” Sweetman said. “It’s about expanding it to everyone who loves football skills and bringing something that’s spectacular, but a little bit subculture into the mainstream.”
The campaign also includes updates by Messi to his more than 33 million Facebook fans (for comparison, David Beckham has 17 million fans, Madonna about 8 million) and EA’s own 10 million fans, targeted Facebook advertising and an event in Barcelona where Messi will make an appearance.
“When you have a celebrity that has 33 million followers, it just makes a ton of sense to stay in the social world,” said Collins. “We’re getting Super Bowl numbers with one Facebook update.”
