In 2011 Polish football was at a crossroads. The country was preparing to host the upcoming European Championships, but the Poland National Team (PNT) was at its lowest ebb for generations, and cynicism was rife.Our task was to help Nike become a genuine partner in the rebirth of Polish football, at every level of the game. We tapped into a cultural truth, that Poles come together in times of trouble, and gave ourselves the immediate task of making Poland the most tightly bonded football community on earth. The United We Fight campaign connected young Polish footballers with the PNT, under a resilient banner, but also by allowing each to inspire the other. We used social media, geo-tagging, provocative OOH, print, and an irreverent film, to kick-start a virtuous circle of renewed self-belief. As the Euro’s approach Poland is a country with a close-knit digital community of proud young players.

The United We Fight campaign was about enabling fierce unity, not just proclaiming it. As well as purely inspirational communication (AV, OOH, Print) we created two Facebook Apps.

Firstly we allowed our group members to submit words of motivation to be painted on to the walls of the PNT changing room. This dramatically closed the gap between the ‘out of reach’ superstar players and the ordinary Polish kids. It made the kids feel part of something, and had a genuine effect on the PNT, with only the captain made aware prior to the players walking in. Secondly, using geo-tagging, we allowed young Polish footballers to enlist their own pitch into the movement. This made the campaign tangible and explicitly grass-roots. Despite widespread cynicism from the ‘adult media’ Polish footballers could see (and indeed prove) that they were in fact part of a proud and thriving footballing community.

• Marked increase in social engagement and feelings of unity among young Polish footballers.

• 549 personal messages uploaded to the UWF changing room app in 4 days.• 320 pitches tagged across Poland.• 100% increase in total number of Facebook fans, now at 180k fans.

• ‘Nike Poland Football’ was the most engaged Nike Football Facebook page in the global community over the period September 2011 – February 2012. POL 7.2%, BRA: 4.2%, GLO: 1.9%, FRA: 1.3%, ITA 1.2%We created an active, united and thriving community built around our partnership with a previously unfancied Polish National Team.