'MORE THAN ELEVEN' - Sport Business

As the world faced the pandemic, and football was dealing with its impact on sponsorship, marketing and activation, Everton and new technical partner hummel sought to deliver a first for football – a ground-breaking non-player led kit launch that showcased hummel’s commitment to investing in Club charity Everton in the Community (EITC), and which saw players from Everton in the Community’s Disability programme – celebrating its 20th anniversary year – become the focus.

This activation was part of the wider ‘More Than Eleven’ 2020/21 campaign, which spotlighted the strong bond between Everton – The People’s Club – and its worldwide fan community, whose role is vital to Everton’s success.

Physical promotion, major public events, stunts, instore activity and billboards were restricted or impossible, pre-order only was available for home kits, and access to stores was limited/unpredictable. The extended 2019/20 season meant contractual obligations with the previous supplier impacted when/where players could wear the kits publicly. Player access was limited, and photography restricted to studio, requiring creativity and innovation throughout the whole campaign, and making digital the focus for engagement.

Objectives Overview:

Break new ground in football with a non-player led campaign using players from Everton’s Disability teams – first in Premier League to feature solely disabled players on all lead creative
Embed new partner hummel into the Everton family authentically and memorably, and further strengthen the bond between supporters and Club
Showcase hummel’s commitment to the Club charity and give the Disability team players a voice as key members of the Everton Family
Capture the attention of an audience who, due to the pandemic, were only able to engage via digital platforms
Drive increased online sales using data capture, Wayin digital marketing technology and solus emails and make purchasing as easy as possible
Engage with fan sites and influencers virtually
Communicate environmental aspects of the kit