By repurposing a rarely used button - the yellow button found in TV remotes, this campaign showcases how a low-cost and simple idea can generate a direct response. What was previously used to subscribe to football content, was transformed into a tool for social impact, awareness, and fundraising. Viewers were able to access information on the Forgotten Team during the 64 matches of the World Cup. The direct response from customers was demonstrated through the measurable results, including increased brand perception and donations. MEO effectively engaged its customers and demonstrated the power of targeted and response-driven creativity.

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.

MEO created The Forgotten Team, a football team in tribute to the thousands of migrant workers who died building the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Team’s jersey was inspired by the Human Rights Act Article 4: Freedom from slavery and forced labour. A team made to be embraced by the 10.33 million people in Portugal.

Creating a new football team for supporters of human rights was the perfect way to gain awareness in a nation heavily focused on football. Through social media, activations, and a tiny yellow button. The jersey quickly became a powerful symbol of bravery and resilience.

The lack of action from most brands involved in the tournament added to the significance of the Forgotten Team. That fact only increased the impact of the campaign. It was game-changer in the industry, inspiring other brands on the importance of brand values, purpose-driven marketing, and authenticity.

The campaign leveraged the power of football fandom in Portugal to raise awareness about the human rights violations and raise funds for the families of the victims. MEO redirected its resources from the World Cup in Qatar to promote human rights and tapped into the passion of football fans and their desire to see the sport played with dignity and respect for all. The campaign utilized various channels to reach its target audience, including the yellow button on the TV remote to leverage the high viewership of the matches. Data was gathered on viewership and engagement patterns during the matches to identify the best times to air the Yellow Button ad. The approach involved using the existing platform of MEO’s TV interface. The call to action was for viewers to click the Yellow Button during matches to learn more about the campaign, ultimately driving donations and support for the cause.

The campaign was launched with the iconic jersey, to honor the workers who lost their lives. The bright yellow color and reflective stripes were inspired by the workers' vests, printed with Article 4 of the Human Rights Act. It served as a wearable call to action for supporters of human rights and generated national buzz. The jerseys were made available for purchase through MEO where all proceedings went to Amnesty International.

During each world-cup game broadcast, viewers could hit the yellow button on their remote control and uncover the true story behind the glory. It became a symbol of remembrance and a call to action for viewers to donate to the cause with 230k clicks.

The scale of the project was massive, reaching 98% of Portugal.

The Forgotten Team jerseys are still being sent to future World Cup hosts as a reminder that this tragedy cannot happen again.

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 still used in public humanitarian protests and manifestations.

As a long-time sponsor of the national team and top broadcaster of the country, MEO recognized the potential backlash and negative impact on its brand if it continued to solely focus on promoting the World Cup. Instead of ignoring the issue, MEO made a strategic decision to redirect its resources towards the Forgotten Team campaign.

MEO disrupted the typical model of sponsor advertising during the tournament, and instead drove attention and action towards a more socially responsible cause.By pressing a yellow button on remotes during football matches, human rights would come to the front. Without breaking its contracts as top broadcaster, MEO managed to find a creative way to display the Forgotten Team even during World Cup matches. The disruption in the market also highlighted the need for brands to take a more active role in promoting social responsibility and ethical practices, rather than solely focusing on commercial tactics.