In June and July, gamers and football fans got their first look at EA Sports FC 24 – the world’s biggest sports game formerly known as FIFA – through a multi-faceted launch campaign that included a big-budget launch event in Amsterdam, a ‘Haa-Land’ campaign focusing on Norwegian cover star and Manchester City FC striker Erling Haaland, and a social strand including teaser and gameplay trailer videos, as well as OOH and in-store work.
The integrated marketing phase promoted the pre-order phase from 22 August and the main launch date of 29 September.
The flashy, physical launch event – complete with major football trophies borrowed from various governing body partners – occurred in front of an invited audience of soccer stars and sports celebrities, gamers, streamers and influencers including Erling Haaland, Alex Scott and Ronaldinho.
It also unveiled a major wave of new brand deals such as a new partnership with PepsiCo and tie-ups with various football properties and rights owners including UEFA, the Premier League and LaLiga.
The rebranded game itself focused more on gameplay (including introducing PS4 and Xbox cross-play into Pro Club mode) and gave a larger role to women’s football (through mixed teams in Ultimate, plus additional female players, teams and competitions (including Spain’s Liga F, Germany’s Frauen-Bundesliga, Barclays Women’s Super League, Division 1 Arkema and the USA’s National Women’s Soccer League).
The cover star for the first version of FC 24 was Haaland – fresh from winning the Champions League.
As well as appearing at the launch event and on the packaging, EA Sports released a tongue-in-cheek tourism-style commercial featuring famous Norwegian landmarks converted into ‘Haa-Landscapes’. Posted initially on EA’s Norwegian social media on 15 July, the 30-second spot, titled ‘Welcome to Haa-land,’ featured fjords, the northern lights, the Pulpit Rock and the archipelago of Henningsvær all reimagined as Haa-Land.
This was preceded in early/mid July reveal of the launch with the official announcement trailer for EA Sports FC 24 which offered a first glimpse of the cover, graphics and gameplay.
This phase was led by the ‘EA SPORTS FC 24 Official Announce Trailer’ on 10 July, supported by social support and new ambassador announcements (in parallel with 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup related marketing), further tease social content on 12 July and then one-hour to launch teaser followed by the anchor ‘Official Game Play Trailer’ on 13 July
As part of a fresh wave of partnerships, EA Sports also announced a multi-year, global partnership between EA Sports FC and PepsiCo: a strategic partnership unveiled under the copy line ‘We Are In The Club’ which sees a trio of the parent company brands – Pepsi, Gatorade and Lay’s – collaborate with EA Sports to deliver entertainment experiences uniting football, music and gaming and centered around the new EA Sports FC game.
The tie-up will also see global ambassadors from PepsiCo’s football ambassador stable – including Vini Jr (Brazil and Real Madrid) and Leah Williamson (England and Arsenal) – feature in co-branded activations, entertainment crossovers, in-game integrations, on-pack promotions, exclusive experiences and in-game rewards.
“EA Sports is an iconic brand in the realm of football and has revolutionized fan engagement,” commented PepsiCo Head Of Global Sports And Partnerships Adam Warner. “With PepsiCo’s history and extensive involvement in football and entertainment, our brands are uniquely positioned to push the boundaries of football fandom. This partnership enables us to reach football fans and communities worldwide, and to provide them with experiences that elevate their connection to the beautiful game.”
EA Sports FC Vice President of Brand David Jackson added: “For years, PepsiCo’s brands have been delivering memorable moments for football fans, and we’re energised to incorporate that rich heritage into our own experiences as we set forth on this remarkable journey with EA SPORTS FC. We’re proud to partner with PepsiCo to create more unmissable experiences that will undoubtedly captivate fans of the World’s Game.”
Announced under the slogan ‘The Power of our Fútbol’, another tie-up was a fresh, five-year strategic partnership between EA Sports and LALIGA which was backed by constituent clubs and league sponsors which spans strategy, positioning, business, technology, and audiovisual broadcasting and will see the top Sopanish division renamed LALIGA EA SPORTS and the second division called LALIGA HYPERMOTION. It also includes a presenting partnership of the league’s new museum and bar space in Madrid called ‘LEGENDS, The Home of Football’
LALIGA President Javier Tebas commented: “We begin a new era that represents a revolutionary change for both Spanish football and the industry. And we do so surrounded by clubs and strategic partners such as EA SPORTS, without whom none of this would have been possible. Together we want to create a better football for society and a better society for our football.”
EA SPORTS VP of Brand David Jackson added: “LALIGA uniquely share our vision for a fan-first future of football, and this partnership brings us the opportunity to reframe the way in which fans engage with the game. Combining our expertise in building globally diverse audiences with LALIGA’s spirit of innovation, we will continuously challenge each other, learn, and grow together as partners. As we enter a new era with EA SPORTS FC, we’re excited for our LALIGA partnership to come to life in a variety of ways, from audio-visual technology to entertainment innovation, from grassroots initiatives to digital communities, all with the intention of bringing fans closer to football.”
Comment
The start of the gameplay marketing for the rebranded EA Sports FC 24 follows on from the ‘Triangles’ logo and brand assets reveal in April, its November 2022 ‘Ultimate FIFA World Cup Soundtrack’ campaign and October 2022’s ‘The World’s Game’ campaign promoting the (final) FIFA 23 game.
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