Cannes Lions
OGILVY SOCIAL.LAB, Amsterdam / PANENKA / 2021
Overview
Entries
Credits
Background
We needed to reach Diego's fans at a time in which the whole football community was paying tribute to him. Every tribute was very similar, and our objective was to create a unique & respectful tribute that would stand out, whilst still resonating with generations of fans around the world. There were also additional challenges of both a limited budget and timings.
Idea
On November 25th, a football legend passed away but his legacy is bigger than football itself. As a tribute to Maradona, we have sent him a ball from a "potrero" pitch in Buenos Aires, to let him keep playing, wherever he is. We captured it in an emotional video that we used in Panenka's social media, achieving not only Panenka followers but also football fans around the world.
Strategy
The strategy was built on the knowledge that fans would be happy to spread the video of their deceased hero. And we had little time – honoring Maradona had to be done within a few days time. PR, in this case some simple posts (owned and earned, not paid) by the global brand Panenka, could be executed fast and would trigger the spread we aimed for. And it worked.
Execution
Sending a ball to the sky was a symbolic and creative way of saying goodbye to the legend Diego Maradona, that got the attention of football fans and also the media, for its unexpected and emotional character. It was a small activation that we also transformed in a film. We went all the way to Buenos Aires, in one of the poorest regions of the city, just like the one that Diego was born. Working with the community of the place, a boy from there was chosen to send a ball to Diego.
Outcome
The video was the most shared one in the Panenka recent story and also, with zero media investment, we've managed to have more than 40 million of total reach for the idea, being featured in many important media around the world like the biggest Argentinian football portal Olé. The video was "video of the year" of the Bosnian marketing portal Media Marketing.