2 years after the Arab Spring, tension amongst the Tunisian remained. For security reasons, the Government decided that all professional Football League games had to be played without any audience in stadiums. Forcing teams and fans into a frustrating long distance relationship.

At the end of a football season with average results, Tunis team C.S Hammam-Lif faced a critical situation. 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. More than ever, the team needed the support of their fans.

To re-activate the fans, we gave them a powerful tool. A mobile Application that enables them help win the game: The 12th Man App. The application connects fans to 40 giant speakers placed inside the stadium during the game and allows them to support their team inside the stadium while watching the game live on TV.

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

The 12th Man app not only enriched people's football experience, it turned back thousands of fans into powerful support for their team. Energized by this support, 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. Finally, it made Headline news.

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

Through re-inventing the football experience, we bypassed an unsolvable problem and reconnected fans with their team. With their mobile, they could do what they were not allowed to do anymore: cheer and be instrumental in their team's success.

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 linking fans to stadiums, we empowered them again. C.S Hammam-Lif showed its fans how important they are by keeping them involved in the game in difficult times and against all odds.