Play to win. Anyways partnered with male care brand, Harry’s, to help position themselves as a supporter of grassroots football. In February 2020, we launched Football’s Other Guys - a regional campaign giving grassroots football clubs the opportunity to win a taste of premier league treatment with a changing room makeover and kit sponsorship. This support helped the much underfunded non-league game and its players.
More than the Premier League. In the UK, nearly 1 in 5 adults participate in some form of football, but mainstream brands solely portray the unattainable 0.1% of elite athletes in their ads. We helped challenger brand Harry’s to take a refreshingly different approach by aligning with the grassroots game that represents thousands of real people — football’s other guys.
Chuck it in the group chat. We spoke to non-league players from across the country to gain a better understanding of grassroots football culture and how we could make the most impact with our campaign. And to get the attention of our desired audience, we had to communicate and think just like them. In our first phase of outreach, we used WhatsApp to spread the word, as it's used by countless Sunday league teams across the country.
'You bring the bibs and tape the goalposts.' The unassuming object of tape inspired our visual language. From keeping player's socks up to hanging their goal nets, tape represents the core Sunday league spirit. We scanned hundreds of metres of tape to create bespoke lettering that would hero the passionate words of real players from across the country. Their words also informed the tone of voice for our punchy copywriting and manifesto statement, voicing what playing the game really means to them.
Goals Galore. We promoted the competition with a series of illustrations by Daryl Rainbow, playfully depicting our prizes, on channels that went beyond WhatsApp and social channels to OOH poster campaigns and a Harry’s microsite page.
We had an overwhelming response, from teams across the UK. First prize went to Gossoms End FC and the five runners up included Wakefield Athletic FC, Wanderers FC, Hartlepool Tech, Aintree Villa AFC, and St Helens Beacon Walking FC.
We are Gossoms End FC, We are Football’s Other Guys. Situated in Berkhamsted, GEFC were selected based on their amazing story as a community run team. The club have used the same changing block since 1986 and was in need of a lick of paint. We collaborated with the amazing design and fabrication studio, Commissioned By You, to carry out the refresh of the changing facility, from the home and away rooms, to the showers, toilets and even the referee's room.
Club History. As part of their prize we redesigned their club crest to incorporate both the club's recent and past history. To celebrate the redevelopment, we reached out to sign-painter Tobias Newbigin to create a bespoke plaque and sign, which now takes pride of place in the club's entrance.
All of the winners including the runners up received a brand new kit and sponsorship for their team, as well as training and match equipment. We also created a host of collateral for our winning teams. From club flags to football scarves, and from towels to umbrellas for the sideline supporters.
Making Some Noise. Over the course of the project, Football's Other Guys has been featured in local and national press, from sports publications to mainstream media. The response has been amazing, from wide coverage spanning BBC Three Counties radio station to a feature in Campaign Live, the project has certainly made some noise.
The changing room makeover and sponsorship from Harry’s means the world to us, and has helped to secure the long term future of the club during what has been a very difficult time for grassroots football. George Guest, Gossoms End FC General Manager
