Currently, bullying affects 7 out of every 10 kids. This causes more than 200,000 suicides per year worldwide amongst young people ages 14 to 28. School bullying is a problem that affects society as a whole, a problem of which we are all aware.

With this campaign, we worked to fight against this threat to the well-being of society, and for the proper growth and development of young people.

A huge problem with a strictly limited budget made for a true challenge: be both impactful and credible enough to serve as a reference point in the fight against school bullying.

The very ambitious objectives included making school bullying visible, raising awareness about the behaviors which lead to it, and increasing donations.

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Atletico is a team built around values, speaking rarely about football and often about life. That’s why we take advantage of the figure of the “spectator”, inviting them to do one of the things that our team does best: defend. 

Involving in this way those people who witness harassment, and showing them different examples of bullying as well as highlighting the importance of defending. 

Since Atletico's defensive style has been the topic of discussion so often in the world of football, maybe it's even more necessary off the pitch. Because sometimes, the real MVPs are those that defend, not attack. 

Atletico de Madrid is a club whose impact and relevance transcends the world of football. This is why we’ve assumed the responsibility of trying to build a better society for the future.

Atletico is a team built around values, speaking rarely about football and often about life. And we thought, “what can Atletico, a team whose philosophy transcends the world of football, do to help against the growing problem of bullying? That’s why we decided to attack the problem at its root, speaking directly to viewers, valuing what Atletico does best and inviting them to do the same: defend.

A simple and direct message that resonated deeply with the audience.

We see a child enter a school cafeteria very timidly.

He sits alone, and from another table, other children begin to throw food at him and bother him. The school bullying begins.

They keep harassing him until, suddenly, while the bullies throw bread at the kid, another student—wearing an Atletico de Madrid jersey—steps between them using a tray to shield him.

The group of bullies stop their harassment. The kid who defended the shy kid sits down next to him and begins a conversation, and another student joins them a bit later, showing what needs to be done in order to stop bullying: defend.

Atletico is a team built around values, speaking rarely about football and often about life. That’s why we take advantage of the figure of the “spectator”, inviting them to do one of the things that our team does best: defend. Atletico’s defensive style, which has often been a topic of discussion in the football world, is possibly even more necessary off the pitch. And sometimes, the real MVPs are those that defend, not those who attack.

A simple and direct message which resonated with the audience. The campaign obtained 4,6 million views. It achieved a significant impact in international media with a very limited budget. It helped obtain +74,27% above the average in Spain for donations to an NGO. It led to an increase of 792% in engagement on Instagram and a 503% increase on Twitter.

And transmitted this Atletico value: defend the weak.