How Sela unsilenced the football crowd with the Newcastle United and RNID

Research conducted by Sela and charity partner The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) mapped the experience for deaf fans revealing that 71% of people surveyed believe new technology can be used to make live sports events more accessible.

The campaign aimed to show Sela’s ability to deliver spectacular experiences to global sports institutions and show fans across Europe that Sela is not just a ‘logo’ on a shirt but adds value to their experiences. To also convert awareness amongst stakeholders into an understanding of Sela’s work and build credibility amongst audiences for future business growth.

Clear target audiences for the campaign were established. As a new entity in European sports, Sela set out to enhance its reputation as a value-additive partner with Europe’s most competitive leagues. The campaign was designed to build B2B relationships with the biggest institutions in football.

Sela’s brand visibility across the global football community was siloed to countries across the Middle East. Sela used the campaign to position itself as a leading club sponsor to fans of other clubs, global sports media outlets and prominent stakeholders.

Brief

Underpinning the creative execution of the experience was research conducted by Sela into how fans experience football differently showing 55% of people enjoy watching live sports events less due to their hearing loss.

Sela and technology provider, CuteCircuit, incorporated haptic technology into replica NUFC match shirts that transform the noise of the stadium into real-time touch sensations, allowing deaf fans and fans with hearing loss to experience the atmosphere of a live football match in an all-new way. The entire soundscape came to life as a language composed of a series of touch-like sensations across the torso of the person wearing the shirt.

The technology debuted at NUFC’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur in front of 50,000 people, with millions more on TV and a match takeover that brought the campaign to life.

In advance of the game, Junior Deaf Football Club children were given a surprise invite to be mascots on game day from two Newcastle United players. The children taught the players how to celebrate in sign language, with the player Dan Burn then enacting during the live global broadcast. The footage went viral, showcasing the impact of Sela’s campaign beyond just the technology itself.

The media strategy saw key media exclusively briefed in advance to trail the news, which was split up into ‘tentpole’ moments including the logo donation, the name of the charity partner, the haptic shirt technology and the key protagonists who would be wearing them. Global broadcast media attended match day with live pitchside interviews with key spokespersons airing as part of the live global feed. Media partnerships with technology and sports media furthered the impact and reach of the campaign.

Sela also donated its front-of-shirt sponsorship for the match to RNID - a historic occasion marking the first time a hearing loss charity has been promoted on a Premier League front-of-shirt.

Sela collaborated with local Newcastle United FC supporters’ group Wor Flags to fill the stadium with a flag emblazoned with words that captured the essence of the campaign: “It’s the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging."

Fans in the stadium and viewers at home saw the RNID branding displayed across the pitch-side monitors, raising awareness for the campaign. Representatives from the world’s largest football institutions travelled to witness the technology first-hand including the Premier League, European Club Association and Serie A. The UK Government, Uefa and Fifa all attended to explore how the technology can be incorporated into wider football.

Results

The impact of the campaign is already being seen throughout global football. The legacy is only in its infancy and there are already commitments from several major European football leagues to introduce the technology to benefit their fans and improve the inclusivity of the sport including the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A.

Sela achieved its goal of increasing market coverage rising to become the lead share of voice vs the top six English Premier League club sponsors. Over 60,000 fans participated in the experience during the live launch of the technology and there were over 1000 opportunities for the hearing loss community to enjoy the shirts over the next year.

Unsilence The Crowd was covered by a total of 771 media outlets headquartered in 37 countries. Notable features included CNN, Sky News, Al Arabiya, The Sun, The Guardian, Süddeutsche Zeitung, L’Equipe, Daily Mail and Marca. Dan Burn’s celebration in sign language during the game went viral across all social channels.

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