Whereas some other betting companies sponsor teams of the premier league, Betsson has decided to launch its fantasy gameBetssonFC, with a bold strategy: to sponsor Íbis Sport Club, the worst soccer team in the world.That way Betsson has managed to speak directly to those who love soccer, turning the announcement of a sponsorship into some news that appeared even on the website of its competitor, CartolaFC.We create real conversations with fans and the brand has grown twenty-seven times. BetssonFC has joined with Íbis to accomplish one of the most interesting actions of public relations in soccer, all over the world.

To create awareness of the brand and engender experimentation of Fantasy Game BetssonFC around a crowd of soccer enthusiasts and those who share the sense of community on that matter. Through the proximity of Íbis Sport Club to its audience, we’ve given the launching a smarter and more recognizable by its audacity touch, and we’ve made the unthinkable: to sponsor the worst soccer team in the world.

To launch its fantasy game BetssonFC, in Brazil, the Swedish brand has made a bet on a very unlikely sponsorship: to sponsor Íbis Sport Club, the worst team in the world.

This strategy didn’t happen for no reason. Although Íbis is a disaster on the field, it is one of the champions when it’s about social media. It is placed as the 4th team, which have more engaging on twitter.

And there was no better way to launch it and to start a conversation with soccer and fantasy games passionate than joining a team that is a phenomenon on social media.

The strategy has started at a meeting to sign the contract, and it has become the most commented subject on any sport newspaper.

The films and contents have reached incredible numbers and it has managed to speak directly with its audience.

While some other betting companies on that matter place their bets on sponsoring huge teams, Betsson launched its fantasy game, BetssonFC, sponsoring a team which isn't on the premier league of the regional championship. With the concept “Anyone can play with the best of the world. Even you”, we've reinforced the main difference that fantasy game of Betsson has: anyone, even the players of Íbis, can play along on international championships.

Although Íbis is a disaster on the field, the team is a champion on social media. We were aware that any subject on Íbis matter would create lots of talking and engaging. And that’s what we did: we sponsored Ìbis and therefore have been using its strength as a creator. Íbis had some unthinkable and unheard-of investment, and that way it has managed to have a better structure, pay the players income and, finally, has reached the premier league.

So that we could have the impact that we expected, we had one only unchangeable rule: the sponsorship had to be real. And that’s how it happened.

It all started with the signing of the contract on a meeting, and it soon became the subject of the day on the sports news in Brazil.

That way, we’ve benefited from Íbis force as a creator and also we came up with a number of contents which have had reached people incredibly, speaking directly with the audience.

To each material posted organically, such as the mock-up of Cruzeiro’s bank deposit, or the Blooper of the players getting their moves right, we’ve managed to potentialize the message and to make the brand appear to the audience on a relevant way. There was also Messi’s contract, which became news on the international press and made the Argentinians angry.

The campaign has produced results that no other competitor could, not even the ones sponsoring the elite division clubs.

780% PLATFORM VISITORS GROWTH

27X BUSINESS GROWTH

400% INCREASE OF BRAND SEARCH VOLUME

+41MM SOCIAL CREATORS IMPRESSIONS

+670K SOCIAL SOCIAL CREATORS ENGAGEMENT

1.6MM EARNED MEDIA

1.1B EARNED IMPRESSIONS

But even bigger than that, the strategy was a milestone to both the brand and the club. BetssonFC became a conversation topic for football fans all over and it also made history as the brand that helped Ibis perform a few miracles: the players started to receive actual salaries, the club got sponsorships offers from other brands and, against all odds, Ibis finally won a spot in the elite division, after more than 22 years.

This sponsorship made such a big impact that other teams outside of the elite division started to get noticed and considered by other sporting bets brands.