The Forgotten Team effectively harnessed the power of sports to promote a humanitarian cause. Leveraging MEO's status as Portugal's top broadcaster and official sponsor of the national football team, the campaign created a team to honor the migrant workers who died building the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It utilized various channels to reach its audience, capitalizing on the hype surrounding the tournament. Additionally, the campaign incorporated a donation mechanism during World Cup game broadcasts to assist the families of the deceased workers.

Reports of corruption and human rights abuses during the construction of stadiums and infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar made it a highly controversial event. Shockingly, more than 6,500 workers lost their lives due to bad working conditions, while thousands more were subjected to modern-day slavery.

As the biggest broadcaster in Portugal and long-time sponsor of the national team, MEO questioned their responsibility. How could MEO fulfil all commercial obligations while upholding their ethical principles?

Rather than turning a blind eye to the human rights abuses in Qatar, MEO chose to take a stand. Support the families of the victims who suffered those abuses and encourage action towards change.

The campaign tapped into the emotional connection between fans and their teams and use it to create a sense of solidarity with the Forgotten Workers. By creating a football team in their honor, the campaign was able to leverage the excitement surrounding the World Cup to generate interest and engagement with the issue.Fans, especially in Portugal, have a strong sense of loyalty to their teams and are deeply connected to the sport. With that in mind and using social media, influencers and advocates, the team’s fan base grew enormously. The community-building efforts included involving MEO's employees in wearing the yellow jersey, partnering with other organizations, and even turning migrant workers into ambassadors. The aim was a long-term relationship with the community, as evidenced by the distribution of the Forgotten Team jerseys to future World Cup hosts as a reminder of the cause.

The creative idea behind the Forgotten Team campaign was to create a new football team as a tribute to the thousands of migrant workers who died building the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The team's yellow jersey, inspired by the workers' vests, featured reflective stripes and the number 4 to represent Article 4 of the Human Rights Act.

This idea directly addressed the insight that many people around the world were objecting to the 2022 World Cup due to the mistreatment of migrant workers. By creating a new football team, MEO was able to tap into the passion of football fans and build a community of people who were passionate about human rights. The team's jersey became a symbol of solidarity and raised awareness for the cause of human rights.

The Forgotten Team's jersey was a key element of the campaign. The bright yellow color and reflective stripes were inspired by the workers' vests, and the number 4 on the back represents Article 4 of the Human Rights Act. The implementation of the campaign was seamless, with the yellow jerseys being worn by MEO employees and distributed to ambassadors, influencers and partner organizations. The use of the yellow button on remote controls during World Cup broadcasts allowed viewers to easily learn about the cause and donate to the families of the deceased workers. The timeline for the campaign was strategic, with the announcement of the team and jersey being made days before the 2022 World Cup. The placement of the campaign was widespread, with MEO leveraging its position as the official sponsor of the Portugal national football team to gain media coverage and social media buzz all across the country.

From hospitals to schools, from gamers to surfers, the jersey was everywhere. A president of a political party (PAN) even wore the jersey in parliament. The campaign reached a national audience through media coverage and social media. With almost 9.9M people impacted, 98% of the country. The campaign generated 1.5M of earned media and 127K shared media. The yellow button itself accounted for almost 27k euros of the total 160k euros raised through the campaign.

According to the World Football Qatar 2022 study, prepared by Scopen, the campaign was best evaluated by 75% of those who contacted the action, surpassing the evaluations of bigger global brands, such as Coca-cola, Nike or Macdonalds. MEO saw its association as a brand of causes grow by 6 percentage points, an extremely positive outcome. To this day the jersey is a symbol of resilience and bravery, still used in public humanitarian protests and manifestations.

In a football nation, the team you support can be a reflection of your social background, values, and ambitions. Most people support the same team throughout their lives, and changing allegiance demands a strong reason. On another note, the abuses in Qatar were a subject close to the hearts of many portuguese as Portugal is a nation of immigrants, workers and one of the first countries to create laws to abolish slavery.