BMO Financial Group teamed up with Canada men’s national team star and FC Bayern Munich full back Alphonso Davies for a multi-spot campaign championing its various football partnerships – from player ambassador tie-ups, to grass roots support programme, stadium naming rights and team sponsorships – titled #BMOGrowTheGame.
Created in harness with agency FCB Canada, the aim of the activation is to showcase BMO’s ongoing and multi-layered commitment to soccer at both the grassroots and professional level. Indeed, the Canadian based financial giant sponsors more than 70 clubs (representing 920 teams and approximately 13,000 youth players) every year across Canada, as well as having soccer stars like Davies in its endorser stable and tie-ups like its BMO Field naming rights deal for the home stadium of MLS side Toronto FC.
The objective is to showcase how these sponsorships have boosted the development of so many athletes who are thriving within the game at various professional levels and helped further fuel the growth of the world’s most popular sport.
The campaign is built around seven linked spots featuring the BMO banker (played for the past three years by New Girl actor Lamorne Morris) alongside Davies (who recently inked a five-year deal as a BMO soccer ambassador).
The campaign, which broke from 14 September, spanned paid media (including MLS and World Cup broadcasts), YouTube and Twitch. Each video features the BMO banker and Alphonso demonstrating their respective skills: banking and soccer.
As well as the hero 15-second commercials, there are a further 20 pieces of content from the BMO youth clinic developed for social channels including Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
We’re proud to support more than 11,000 youth teams in Canada over 10 years. That’s a lot of oranges. #BMOGrowTheGame https://t.co/YixN8OWLoH
— BMO (@BMO) September 15, 2022
The production and shoot occurred in Davies’ hometown of Edmonton (Alberta) and was primarily filmed on a local pitch where he once played. After the campaign shoot, BMO hosted a training and skills clinic for young local players who were surprised to find an international football star as their coach.
Loved this moment with @Alphonsodavies! Proud to be growing the game in Canada together. #BMOGrowTheGame https://t.co/3dJDFQ4IAr
— BMO (@BMO) September 20, 2022
“BMO’s partnership with Alphonso Davies reflects our mutual commitment to growing the game of soccer in Canada and inspiring the next generation of youth,” outlined BMO Chief Marketing Officer Catherine Roche. “Our campaign reflects our passion as the bank of soccer.”
“Combining the world of finance with the world of football is naturally funny but what makes this campaign shine is the chemistry between Alphonso and BMO,” outlined FCB ECD Jeremiah McNama. “The end result is smart and playful, while demonstrating BMO’s dedication to the game.”
“Being a part of this campaign was a great start to my partnership with BMO, and getting to surprise the kids at the clinic in my hometown was even better,” said Alphonso. “I am excited for what’s to come.”
The campaign was briefed in by the marketing team at BMO which included Chief Marketing Officer & Head of Social Impact Catherine Roche, VP North American Brand & Social Media Jennifer Carli, Director of Brand Advertising Shelley Johnsen, Senior Manager of Brand Advertising Kaleigh Macmaster and Marketing Manager of Brand Advertising Kayla Malcolm-Brown.
It was created for the client by a group at creative agency FCB Canada which was led by Chief Creative Officer Nancy Crimi-Lamanna, Executive Creative Directors Andrew MacPhee and Jeremiah McNama, Associate Creative Directors Josh Haupert and Laura Kim, Broadcast Producer Anne Marie Martignago, EVP General Manager Tracy Little, VP Client Service Lead Erin Howes, Account Director Ali Gayowski, Chief Strategy Officer Shelley Brown and Strategy Director Stephanie Gyles.
The production company was Steam Films with Director Benji Weinstein, with Director of Photography Dylan MaCleod, Executive Producer Krista Marshall and Line Producer Andrew Graham. Post Production was handled by Alter Ego, edit by Saints, music by OSO and the media agency was UM.
Comment
The campaign launches as excitement around soccer begins to build ahead of the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar which kicks off in November: a tournament which Canada qualified for and will thus benefit from time on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
BMO became the first major bank to heavily invest in soccer sponsorship in Canada back in 2005 and has been doing so at all levels ever since during which time it has invested more than $25m in growing the game.
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