Man Utd Get a Helping Hand from Abroad with Google+ Hangout

adam&eveDDB and Google have teamed up with Manchester United to offer a select group of United’s international fan-base the opportunity to “be” at the Theatre of Dreams -­ live -­ no matter where they are in the world, through “Front Row”.

In a world-­first, on Sunday 16th March 2014 -­ United vs Liverpool -­ United fans will have the opportunity to cheer on their team live, appearing via live Google+ Hangout -­ the free, multi-­person video call feature -­ on Old Trafford’s pioneering digital hoardings.

Throughout the match, Front Row supporters will be able to share in the magic of being at Old Trafford, joining 75,000 ticket holders and fellow Front Row participants the world over.

Fans will be invited to share a picture on Google+, along with the tag “#MUFrontRow,” which showcases their love, passion and commitment to the club. A handful of the submissions will get the opportunity to be the very first Front Row participants in world football.

After the match, each Front Row participant will receive professional photographs of their appearance, as well as a welcome on United’s Google+ page, shared with their nearly two million followers. The #MUfrontrow concept was developed by adam&eveDDB in London who work with Google globally.

Manchester United’s Group Managing Director, Richard Arnold, said: “This groundbreaking initiative offers a dynamic and innovative way for our fans worldwide to get even closer to the club they love. When we expanded our latest social media platforms last summer Manchester United became the fastest sports organisation to reach one million followers on Google+”

“Working with Google we are giving the chance for some of our 659 million followers around the globe to have a unique opportunity to be pitch-side at one of the biggest games in world football, something that is a dream for all United fans, no matter where they live.”

Head of Google+ EMEA, Cristian Cussen, added: “Hundreds of millions of United supporters in every corner of the world dream of experiencing a match at Old Trafford. It's one of those sporting events you cherish for the rest of your life.

"For Google, Front Row is an exciting experiment into what the future of supporting your team could be, and we couldn’t think of a greater partner than Manchester United to kick it off.”

In summer 2013, Manchester United became the fastest the sports organisation to reach one million followers on Twitter and it continues to be the fastest growing Premier League club on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Instagram. For more details, supporters should go to google.com/+manutd.

Credits

Client: Google

Brand: Google+

Launch date: 28th Feb

Project name: Front Row

Client: Cristian Cussen, Head of Marketing (EMEA), Google and Kevin Maguire, Product Marketing Manager, Google

Creative agency: adam&eveDDB

Creative Directors: Aidan McClure and Laurent Simon

Copywriter: Neil McGuirk

Art director: Darren O’Beirne

Planner: Georgia Norton

Digital (tech) production: Grand Visual

Media agency: Essence

Digital (banner) production: Toaster

Promo film:

Production company: The Mill

Director: William McGregor

Editor: Charlotte Carr

Soundtrack name and composer: "Intrepid" by Ben Vella & Barney Freeman

Post-production: The Mill

Audio post-production: Clearcut Sound

Moderation: Tempero