AIK Creates a Campaign Based on Superstitions to Jinx Gothenburg

Superstitions have played a significant role in sports for hundreds of years. While some are short-lived, others have been passed on by players and fans from generation to generation. In August 2010, Stockholm's largest soccer club, AIK, capitalized on the craze around superstitions with a tremendous campaign designed to jinx its upcoming opponent, Gothenburg.

AIK developed a "Jinx Gothenburg" initiative that encouraged fans from across Sweden to partake in a psychological experiment to see if it was possible to make Gothenburg unlucky in their upcoming match. The team created a special microsite that enabled fans to choose which bad luck symbols (mirrors, ladders, black cats) they would like to see placed in the town of Gothenburg in the weeks leading up to the game. To help the experiment come to fruition, fans could lend their own bad luck symbol or text in a donation to support the cause.

Two weeks prior to the game, AIK organizers transported a truck with bad luck symbols to Gothenburg and set them up throughout the town. The team videotaped citizens of Gothenburg interacting with the bad luck symbols and offered live streaming for AIK supporters to enjoy the entertainment.

While the campaign didn't end up working in the team's favor (they lost), it did generate a significant amount of media attention throughout Sweden and served as a stimulus for conversation about the AIK club both online and offline.

Check out a video detailing AIK's efforts below:

Arsenal Players Dress as Mascots for Fundraising Effort

Are you looking for new ways to drive awareness and support for charitable organizations? Are you looking to create in-game call-to-action that inspires fans in a humorous way?

Arsenal FC recently honored the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, the team's official charity of 2009, by creating a terrific "Fundraising Day" promotional spot to inspire fans. The team is dedicating their November 29th match against Chelsea to the cause and Arsenal players and directors will be donating a day's wages to help raise funds for the team's charity - an act that is unheard of in the United States.

The team's humorous "Fundraising Day" campaign spot features four (4) players (Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott, Andrey Arshavin, and Bacary Sagna) dressed as mascots and roaming the streets in an effort to collect funds for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. The club hopes that the promotional vignette will help them meet their "Be a Gooner. Be a Giver" '09-'10 campaign goal of raising 500,000 euros.   

Check out the clip below:

Filming the promotional spot proved to be a hit with the team's players:

"I visited Great Ormond Street Hospital back in August so I know what this means to the charity and the patients. I encourage all supporters to follow our lead and give what they can. This advert is a bit of fun for the players and we hope supporters enjoy it, but there is a very real message in it about helping this Hospital and we hope to raise lots of money for this worthwhile cause." - Cesc Fabregas

Sources:

http://www.gosh.org/news/latest-news/2009-archive/arsenal-gosh-film/

http://www.beagoonerbeagiver.org/news/view.php?Id=1169