To reignite the declining popularity of Anadolu Efes Basketball Team, we decided to do a flash mob using the team players as the subject. The video of the event was a viral hit online and the public attention helped sell all tickets to the following games.

Unlike other conventional PR events, showing the relationship of a basketball club and its fans virally resulted in a 100% pure reaction in the audience and the emotional level of the campaign helped with a huge earned media result. There were virtually no PR agreements to support the campaign and on their own free will, almost all media outlets featured the campaign.

The viral spread of the campaign was so important. Therefore the media agency did an extensive target audience research to find the most accurate web networks, web sites and social network channels.To support web channels, the media agency also worked with some TV networks to have coverage in News, TV Programs and even a special TV Show appearance.

The video became a hit within the day. It was on 126 shows and many international news outlets such as BBC, Euronews, The Telegraph and The Guardian. It was viewed over 5 million times on YouTube and shared over 100.000 times on Facebook and Twitter. This has resulted in a reach of 29 million people with a media coverage equivalent to 15 million euros.

For the first time in years, short after the video’s release, Anadolu Efes’s game tickets were sold out. With the support of the audience, Anadolu Efes Sports Club now competes in the Quarter Finals in Euroleague.