The final qualifier for the World Cup–a must-win to earn a World Cup berth. As an official sponsor and supplier, Adidas Japan wanted to turn the event into an opportunity to make a connection with its audience using the unifying theme of football.

The objective was to create an event that Unites and Engages football fans throughout Japan in support of their national team.

During football matches, they rely on their ever-present smartphones to stay connected with each other–whether at home, in sports bars, or even at the arena–and communicate real-time, collecting information and sharing reactions.

The strategy was to generate dynamic connections among football fans in support of their team. Our solution was an interactive projection 200 meters above the ground in Tokyo on the day of a crucial game for the national team. Fans could use their smartphones to virtually ‘throw in’ a soccer ball towards the projection – a massive video of Japan star forward Shinji Kagawa, projected on the wall of a high-rise building. Kagawa received the ball and made a shot on goal. The thrower’s Facebook profile photo and support message were also projected.

The experience created social media buzz. Many pedestrians stopped to watch images that appeared in the Roppongi sky. Further, the event caught the attention of media interviewing football fans on the streets. The campaign was featured in many TV programs together with game results, exciting fans the next day and earning media exposure totaling some USD $100 million.

From a week before the game against Jordan scheduled for March 26, Japanese people began to grow interested in football little by little. Along with the increase in public interest, we released the teaser movie of the campaign, announcing the gigantic projection on the wall of a Roppongi building on the game day. The teaser movie created a buzz on social media, mainly among football fans. Also, various football sites and online news caught and helped spread the information.

The projection started an hour before the kick-off, as the attention to football reached its peak. Users craving for football topics rushed to the campaign and created a buzz in a moment.

The media reporting the excitement of football fans on the streets also caught the information about the event taking place in the center of Tokyo. As a result, the event earned an extensive media coverage the next day.

Games of the Japan national football team attract a great deal of attention. Especially, the match against Jordan on March 26 received considerable public attention as Japan competed for a chance to secure a berth in the next World Cup. A lot of Japanese media often interview football fans on the streets during matches. In order to take advantage of the situation, we used the wall of an eye-catching high-rise building in Tokyo’s Roppongi entertainment district as media, projecting gigantic images onto the wall. The campaign created a great PR opportunity, catching the attention of many people and media.