In January, for the first time in football history, one brand gave a fan the opportunity of a lifetime. Telecom company Claro - one of the main football sponsors in Ecuador - and Paradais DDB gave Daniel Nieto the chance to play an international match with his team in a crowded stadium with a live regional broadcast.
"For Claro, generating the emotional connection and creating a unique experience makes us fulfill the mission of connecting people," says Alfredo Escobar, CEO of Claro Ecuador.
"We needed the relationship between the brand and the fans to be stronger and thus capitalise all the investment Claro made in the teams. Many brands build 'engagement' on the football platform, so we needed something that could position us in a different way from the rest," says Agustín Febres Cordero, chief creative officer of Paradais DDB.
People on the stands are sometimes more passionate than the players on the field - they cheer and support their teams to victory. What could be more special for them than to be on the field playing with their favorite team? Fans went crazy with 'Fan of the Match' prior, during and after the game. They encouraged and rooted for him, making him the star of the night. This was not only the case in the stadium. His story traveled around the world and even FIFA highlighted the stunt.
The 'Fan of the Match' action was national trending topic for 48 hours, generating more than 140k positive comments that caused debate and conversation. It also achieved $11 million in earned media and more than 112 million impressions, positioning Claro as the #1 brand in soccer engagement in Ecuador.