A New Beginning.
When Blackpool FC needed a new campaign to galvanise fans and herald a new era under a new owner they contacted us. It was clear this was about renewing the identity of the entire Football Club.
The fans had been through a (widely reported) tough time under their previous regime. They needed something that would make them fall in love with the Club again, something that would match the ambitions of their new Board of Directors.
Integrated Marketing touchpoints:
The Objectives.
The Brief.
Create a fan-facing campaign that unified supporters under a single banner and got them excited about the future of Blackpool after years of hurt. The campaign had to appeal to fans on the terraces as well as businesses in a bid to encourage commercial investment in the club.
On the ‘nice to have’ list was a camapign that appealed to the wider Blackpool community and teh Club’s key partners like the local council.
The Research.
We trawled message boards, interviewed fans and attended macthes to understand what the fans were really feeling about the Club. Were they ready to fall back in love with the Club again?
Our research found a sense of cautious optimism among fans.
The Big Idea.
We started by asking the question: "what do we want fans to do?" The answer was to 'back' their club, The key word was 'Back' - it was used by the fans in their emotional 'Blackpool Are Back' campaign when the previous regime left the Club. We wanted to continue the theme that Blackpool are back,
Hence 'Back In / Backing Blackpool' was born. The ambiguity of 'Backing' and 'Back In' was deliberate.
We also cememted their identity by using their much loved Club crest from the 1980s and marrying it with their nickname - The Seasiders.
We used the mechanism of Backing and Back In to roll out different messages across the club departments, as can be seen in the creative below.
