Championship club Bristol City FC’s recent social success has largely based on silly, surreal player goal celebration GIFs.
The Robins, a club in the second tier of English football, have been steadily growing their social following since the start of this 2017/18 season by working with all of its players to record an official GIF goal celebration – which the club then pushes out across its social media channels (such as Twitter) almost immediately after each particular player scores.
The GIFS began with a fairly standard, vanilla creative approach that saw player GIFs of selfie high-fives, robot salutes, stomach patting and intensely distant staring.
This is still my favourite pic.twitter.com/TwE4Zza97k
— #BCFC FANS FORUM (@bcfansforum) January 9, 2018
As the season has progressed the GIFS have become more absurd, ludicrous, imaginative and elaborate and have thus attracted more attention.
Some of the recent standouts have ranged from fun with fire extinguishers, impressions of wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin and even smashing eggs over their heads.
While other clubs typically keep tight control over official and player social content, Bristol has not only encouraged this recent set of ludicrous GIFS, but actually given them an official structure and role within the club’s marketing strategy.
The team’s players shot their GIF scenes during the usual summer official photocall sessions and they began competing among themselves to come up with the daftest /coolest GIF ideas.
For more frequent scorers, such as 12-goal midfield maestro Bobby Reid, additional in-season filming sessions have had to be organised.
Some of the more notable GIFs have even attracted sponsors and thus intoprduced a direct revenue generating silo to the social campaign.
Bristol City's goalscoring GIFs are winning the internet, and for good reason (h/t @bcfctweets) pic.twitter.com/HXxNlMWAK1
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 9, 2018
The tactic has been significantly boosted, and led to a recent rise in its national profile, following the fan and press attention generated through its GIFS relating to recent high profile cup games against Manchester United and Manchester City.
The approach reached a PR peak following its Carabao Cup semi final against runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City
This unexpectedly tight game between the country’s wealthiest club and the second tier side saw something of a GIF showdown between the two sides.
— Bristol City FC (@bcfctweets) January 9, 2018
Only good thing with this goal : new GIF from @bcfctweets now let’s go boys !!!
— Benjamin Mendy (@benmendy23) January 9, 2018
53. GGGGOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!! @DeBruyneKev!!!!! 1-1!!!!
(@bcfctweets) pic.twitter.com/OpztQz6cFI
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 9, 2018
You have got to be kidding…
Get your own ideas @ManCity. The gif belongs to @bcfctweets! *tuts* https://t.co/sIdrpgudLP
— BBC Radio Bristol (@bbcrb) January 9, 2018
“In England things seem to be a lot more regimented – until this season,” commented Bristol City FC head of communication Adam Baker.
“In the summer a lot of clubs were brave with the way they announced signings. From our point of view, being part of the Bristol Sport group means working alongside Bristol Rugby and Bristol Flyers Basketball media teams. The Flyers were very successful using gifs last season and it was discussed that it could work for goals – and it certainly has. Very quickly the negatives were being drowned out by supporters praising the bold nature of our gifs.”
GIFs aren’t just disposable social celebratory moments, but they can also help showcase player personalities and thus help boost player/fan engagement.
“So often these days players get a lot of bad press and negativity surrounding them,” adds Baker.
“I know it sounds like a cliche, but we’ve got a great group of players at the club, fantastic human beings, and the gifs have helped show that to our fanbase.”
Comment:
The tactic has seen Bristol City’s Twitter account grow by a third and it now boasts 153,000 followers (and another 150,000 Facebook followers) – not bad at all for a Championship club..
The success isn’t just about growing social statistics and boosting the club’s media profile, but also has led to it becoming a team neutral fans support and cheer for goals – if only to enjoy another fun social scoring gif.
Baker’s advice to any clubs consider stepping out of their social communication comfort zone and trying something braver: “It’s good to see a lighter side to sport. As we’ve found out this season, some of the biggest engagement comes from the different rather than the standard ‘manager says this ahead of game’ content that you find up and down the country.”
This is a smart campaign from both a strategic and an economic point of view
We love it.
Although, unsurprisingly, considering the budget differentials, it doesn’t quite match up to our favourite Gif campaign of all time: EA’s brilliant Madden NFL ‘Giferator’ initiative from back in 2014.
According to the club, the approach was been developed and inspired by US sports teams which Bristol’s Baker feels don’t take themselves too seriously on social media (although at Activative, we aren’t sure we agree with this).
(We also quite liked Bristol City’s former player-cum-kitman fronted ‘12Days of Christmas’ festive initiative too).
Of course, football clubs around the world have spent significant sums of money on strategies to boost their social media reach.
But few have done it with such a freeing sense of fun as Bristol.
Other notable examples in recent months have come from Southampton FC (with its Stranger Things inspired ‘Secret Southampton’ campaign and its social signing spoof spot,
Are we doing this right? #saintsfc pic.twitter.com/TaByabGqci
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) July 13, 2017
as well as Italian giant AS Roma’s ‘Totti Tribute’ work (see case study) and its own signing spoof,
and Napoli’s Tinder dates initiative (see case study).
Bristol City are currently sitting in fifth place in the Championship – a playoff spot.
Perhaps the club will be taking its brave social strategy to the Premier League next season?
Links:
Bristol City
https://www.facebook.com/bristolcityfc
https://twitter.com/bcfctweets
https://www.youtube.com/user/bcfcofficial
https://www.instagram.com/bristolcityfc/
