Apollo Tyres activates its Manchester United multi-market sponsorship with an augmented reality gaming app called #EarnTheJersey.
The Indian headquartered brand celebrates its status as Man Utd’s official worldwide tyre partner with a mobile/digital gaming initiative based around scanning and swiping the brand’s logo to win signed club shirts.
The #EarnTheJersey app leverages the Premier League club partnership to engage existing supporters is based on the same simple premise of the game of football itself.
The AR mobile app, which was created in house and developed in partnership with WatConsult, challenged fans to play by simply scanning an Apollo Tyres logo and then swiping digital footballs towards the jersey of a member of the Manchester United squad in order to ‘score a goal’.
Players are motivated to earn jerseys ‘for the glory of the Reds’ across three gaming levels with incentives such as signed real Man Utd jerseys.
Players can also gain jerseys by referring friends to the app and for every jersey collected, the players increase their chances of winning signed shirts and other signed Manchester United merchandise.
The idea behind the game was to try to mirror a sense of the football stadium atmosphere and the app is available for iOS and Android smartphones.
The gaming app is being pushed via a promotional video (posted in mid May),
In addition to YouTube, the activation is being pushed via a set of content pieces and campaign assets right across its digital and social platforms top drive app downloads – including on its Facebook page,
and on its Twitter feed.
This latter platform saw the app initially promoted with a daily countdown teaser phase,
Are you excited to know what the game is all about? Get ready to play it & #EarnTheJersey! #ApolloXManutd pic.twitter.com/eVrNoogRg9
— Apollo Tyres (@apollotyres) April 27, 2017
Get ready to go the distance to #EarnTheJersey !#ApolloXManutd pic.twitter.com/F7f2dRz18g
— Apollo Tyres (@apollotyres) April 26, 2017
Be prepared to make the most of this opportunity to #EarnTheJersey!#ApolloXManutd pic.twitter.com/HjZGTzp714
— Apollo Tyres (@apollotyres) April 25, 2017
ahead of the multiple content piece main launch strand of the campaign.
Presenting to you #ApolloXManUtd 's one of a kind AR game, 'EARN THE JERSEY'
Android: https://t.co/6lLm311kvw
IOS: https://t.co/6veGgG8sST pic.twitter.com/hVQtVImMgc— Apollo Tyres (@apollotyres) April 28, 2017
Get a chance to #EarnTheJersey signed by the Reds.
Android: https://t.co/6lLm31iVU6
IOS: https://t.co/6veGgGq4ht#ApolloXManUtd pic.twitter.com/cbh6H8r62c— Apollo Tyres (@apollotyres) May 6, 2017
The more you refer, the more you earn!
Android: https://t.co/6lLm311kvw
IOS: https://t.co/6veGgG8sST#EarnTheJersey #ApolloXManUtd pic.twitter.com/uA5cRO8iKK— Apollo Tyres (@apollotyres) May 3, 2017
Play the game of champions, and get rewarded with an official Manchester United Jersey! Game on and #EarnTheJersey with #ApolloTyres. pic.twitter.com/L3dqKPgCP6
— Apollo Tyres (@apollotyres) June 23, 2017
The campaign was launched as the Premier League season headed towards a climax in May and Man Utd won the UEFA Europe League trophy.
Activative Comment:
For a long time, more nuanced sponsorship marketers have been edging away from logo-dominated activations and focusing more on experience enhancement.
With a fun football based app where the brand logo is integral to the gameplay, does this gaming app try and achieve both?
You decide.
Clearly, the initiative aims to carry out Apollo’s Man Utd sponsorship objective of engaging existing fans, connecting with young people and boosting brand awareness.
With, according to the brand itself, 71,068 app installs so far, the campaign’s total reach to date is 2,561,556.
That includes hundreds of thousands of engagements across its multiple Facebook pieces, as well as 28,784 YouTube views in the first month since the initiative was launched.
Apollo, which became the official tyre partner of Manchester United worldwide back in September 2016., has also leveraged the partnership with low latency and tactical digital and social assets throughout the 2016/17season as it aims to drive engagement and boost its social following,
Support @ManUtd in their final game of the season. #mufc #ggmu #ApolloXManUtd pic.twitter.com/tb6CmTy8Hh
— Apollo Tyres (@apollotyres) May 21, 2017
Hold onto your seat for today’s thrilling game. Show your love for your favourite team by hitting the ‘Heart’ reaction. #ApolloXManUtd pic.twitter.com/hlQcogqIC8
— Apollo Tyres (@apollotyres) May 17, 2017
and to push specific products (typically related to seasonality and new launches).
The tyre company and football club have actually been in partnership since August 2013: when Apollo became Man Ut’s partner in the UK and India only.
It activated that market-specific alliance through initiatives such as its ‘Go The Distance’ rubber pitch (see case study).
Since then, the tie-up has been extended to more than 100 markets across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
“The three-year association with Manchester United has supported our business expansion plans especially in India, Middle East, South East Asia and Africa,” said Apollo CMO Marco Paracciani.
“Our various campaigns have helped us connect with young people, increasing awareness of brand Apollo and customer acquisitions in these regions.”
Links:
Apollo
http://traditional.apollotyres.com
https://www.facebook.com/ApolloTyresLtd
https://www.youtube.com/user/ApolloTyresLtd
https://twitter.com/apollotyres
Manchester United
http://www.manutd.com/
https://twitter.com/ManUtd
https://www.facebook.com/manchesterunited
https://plus.google.com/+manutd
https://instagram.com/manchesterunited/
https://www.pinterest.com/manutd/
http://www.manutd.com/en/Club/Sponsors.aspx
