FIFPro World XI Player Awards - taylor herring

Case Study: FIFPro World XI Player Awards
Client: Celador International

What The Client Said

“Taylor Herring delivered a strong, high-impact publicity campaign for the first-ever FIFPro World XI Player Awards. Their efforts resulted in comprehensive media coverage both in the UK and internationally and helped to firmly establish the profile of the brand. Their advice, dedication and tenacity throughout the campaign was extremely valuable.”
Italo Cerullo Head of Press and PR, Celador International

Activity
• Celador International retained THBC to handle international, trade and consumer PR for the inaugural FIFPro World XI Player Awards.
• The awards, which were the world’s first and only international peer-voted football awards, were staged at BBC Television Centre in September 2005.
• A host of internationally renowned stars from the worlds of football, film, music, television and fashion gathered to celebrate the achievements of the world’s most gifted footballers.
• Footballers present included international football stars Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ronaldinho and Cristiano Ronaldo with celebrity appearances from Sven and Nancy, Denise Van Outen, Rachel Stevens, Liberty X and Jerry Hall to name a few.

Objectives
• Drive international pre-awareness for the first-ever FIFPro World XI Player Awards.
• Secure media attendance at the awards to maximise post event coverage.
• Communicate the principle behind the awards to ensure media and consumer understanding.
• Drive MasterCard sponsor mentions within all media coverage.

Strategy
• Information about the awards was drip-fed to press for 9 months preceding the event date to drive credibility and stature for the awards.
• Key publications were targeted for exclusive interviews with various footballers and FIFPro personnel in the lead up to the event.
• All media were informed of nominations for the awards and the winners announcement was embargoed to all media at the ceremony.
• A partnership with The Sun was implemented for a consumer voting mechanic around one of the awards to encourage positive coverage within this key national title.
• Showbiz and football journalists were invited to attend the ceremony and were offered interview opportunities with the winners.
• Media partnerships with Reuters and Empics ensured that all national and international media were serviced with news and pictures from the event.

Results
• The campaign achieved a massive worldwide reach, spanning TV, radio, print and online in over 24 countries.
• Over 450 print news and feature articles were generated
• Front page news was achieved in the UK in The Daily Mirror and The Daily Star.
• Coverage was achieved across showbiz and sports pages.
• The sponsor Mastercard was well credited throughout coverage

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