2 years after the Arab Spring, tension amongst the Tunisian remained. While the media are relatively free now, the Government stil restricts public gatherings for security reasons.

This lead to a decision that all professional Football League games had to be played without any audience in stadiums. Forcing teams and their fans into a frustrating long distance relationship

This is how we integrated Mobile into a TV Broadcast Live Event to enrich the viewer's experience and turn football into an entertainment again.

At the end of a football season with average results, Tunis team C.S Hammam-Lif faced a critical situation. Because of the ban, ties with their fans had eroded. And the most important game of the year approached: the deciding moment whether C.S Hammam-Lif stayed in the league or not.

The team needed a way to master this situation: reconnect with its fans and get their support for the game.

So we resurrected the 12th man and brought him back into the stadium. With a downloadable mobile application that connects every fan to 40 giant speakers placed inside the stadium: the 12th man app.

The app enables fans to support their team inside the stadium while watching the game live on TV.

A simple tap on sound icons is instantly turned into powerful support: cheering, clapping, drumming, singing... The more people press, the louder the sound in the stadium.

Through re-inventing the football experience, we bypassed an unsolvable problem and reconnected fans with their team.

The 12th man app turned phones, which were only used to talk about games, into a tool to influence the result of the game. By doing so, we empowered fans again, turning them back into an active and vocal part of their team. Vice versa, the app gave C.S Hammam-Lif the support it needed to win the crucial game and positioned the club as one that truly cares about its fans, keeping them involved in the game against all odds.

Videos of players asking their fans for support were posted on the Club's official medias. A PR campaign allowed the 12th Man to be talked about in all Tunisian Sports medias: press, magazines, TV and Radio shows. A Demo film of the app was also posted online targeting fan forums and Facebook pages. By virtually booking a seat on the app, the info was shared on first users social media timelines. Finally, the National TV made a special coverage just before the game starts. Live commentaries during the game also drove new users to the app.

The 12th man app made Headline news. Energized by the support of their fans, C.S Hammam-Lif won by 1-0, securing their place in the league. In a stadium with the capacity of 12.000, the app brought together 93,100 fans, with 1,2 million others watching the game. A virtual experience became real and turned football into a real event again.

If you’re a football fan, you can probably agree: the 12th man app saved every fan’s meaning of life.

Up next: the Tunisian Handball and Basketball League.