Advertising During a Football Match Is Trickier than it Looks; Just Ask Chelsea FC

Did you watch Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Fulham this week? If not, consider yourself lucky. The game was a drab affair, enlivened fleetingly by a late first half goal from the rising English star Cole Palmer. In fact, the real intrigue wasn’t on the pitch - it was just a few metres away from it.

 

On three occasions during the first 20 minutes of the match, a group of men in green blazers nestled within the stands stood up in unison. First they read a book, then they simply looked at their wristwatches, and finally they all brushed their teeth (that latter, apparently, in reference to the infamous gentleman who was doing just that during a match over a decade ago). It was a strange spectacle, made all the more awkward for those in the stadium by the frustrated shouts of ‘sit down!’ from match-going fans trying to watch their team. The stunt was an effort to promote the upcoming blockbuster Argylle, whose production company is reportedly connected to Chelsea’s American owner Todd Boehly.

 

In this industry, we often speak in awed tones about the idea of ‘disruption’. But on this occasion, the disruption of a Premier League football match hasn’t been met with much enthusiasm by fans. Responses ranged from “shocking” to “a total circus” or, as one Chelsea fan described it on X, the realisation that “we’re just not a serious club anymore”.

 

So, was the stunt effective? In one sense, the fact it generated more conversation than the actual game - including the article you’re reading right now - would suggest that it made an impact. But positive sentiment matters, and there is such a thing as bad publicity in spite of what conventional wisdom might say. The simple truth is that advertising during a sporting event is an art, and a difficult one to master. When it’s done right it can enhance an experience and even provide a few laughs. But get it wrong, and you risk leaving a sour taste that damages both your brand and the event itself.

 

Take Volkswagen at Euro 2020 as an example. Even the most self-serious football fans got a kick out of watching a remote controlled miniature VW driving the match ball onto the pitch before kick-off. It was a memorable moment of silly fun, and one which added levity without taking anything away from the overall spectacle - not least because it was over and done before the game began.

 

The average Premier League game is rife with opportunity for quick, smart brand activations which make sense. If I were Guinness, for example, I’d think about resurfacing the legendary line: ‘Good Things Come To Those Who Wait’ and use it as the perfect message to share with home fans who’ve just benefitted from a VAR decision after minutes of anxious anticipation. Or if the decision goes the other way, then bring in the Specsavers line! These are the kinds of messages that chime perfectly with the match-going experience as it is - providing enhancement over disruption.

 

And there are plenty of examples of clubs and brands who get that. At Everton, when the away fans engaged in unsavoury chants of ‘poverty’, the club responded by promoting imagery and information about local food banks which they support. And I’m old enough to remember when Ian Wright broke the goalscoring record for Arsenal, he lifted his shirt to reveal the line “179. Just Done It” underscored by the Nike tick - very smart.

Rant alert!

However, I’m continually surprised by the lack of imagination, and quite frankly laziness, of brands who are using this channel to sell their wares. Whenever I make the pilgrimage to the true home of football (St. Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, in case it needed confirming), I’m regularly frustrated, thankfully not by the football this season, but by the placements and timing of thoughtless advertising. On the big screens, the ads that play not only replace the team sheet and some in-match stats, which is highly annoying, but there’s also been no consideration to the medium, the audience and the context. It’s the equivalent of using your TV add in paid social and thinking you’ve done a fantastic integrated campaign. Thinking about the channel and how your audience interacts and operates within it is the basics, yet for the most part it seems to have been forgotten when it comes to in-game advertising.

I often think about the brand managers or agencies reporting back on the ‘success’ of their campaign and using crowd attendance in their visibility data. But that’s totally misleading - scarcely anyone notices them, and those who do are frustrated by them. It paints a false picture of how impactful this type of advertising really is.

 

And what about the sporting context? The contentious Argylle activation almost certainly wouldn’t have hit such a sour note if the team were flying high and fans were in good spirits. But Chelsea have spent recent seasons lurching from disappointment to disappointment and trust between the club and its fans is at a low point - hardly helped by experimental advertising gimmicks in the middle of a crunch match against their local rivals. In order to know that, you need to do your homework.

 

If a message is timely and tactical, it can reduce the risk of frustrating fans and might even manage to entertain them. Brands who take the opportunity to improve the matchday experience rather than attempt to disrupt it can find huge success within the beautiful game.

 

But the worst thing they can do is detract from the experience, especially when fans are already concerned about the creeping sense of commercialisation in the sport they love.

I feel better now. Thanks for hearing me out.