Stevenage Challenge

Why it works

Burger King put its logo on the shirts of Stevenage, a club at the bottom of English football's fourth tier, knowing the kit would be reproduced in EA Sports' FIFA 20. In October 2019 it launched the Stevenage Challenge, inviting players to manage Stevenage in the game, complete set challenges and post clips of their goals on social media in return for food rewards. Because players stocked the virtual squad with the world's best, the result was a stream of fan-made footage of stars such as Messi wearing a Burger King logo the brand never paid them to wear. It is studied for finding media value inside a game's rules rather than paying for it. The club and agency reported that Stevenage became the most-played side in FIFA's career mode during the two-week challenge, with more than 25,000 goals shared and its shirts selling out. At Cannes in 2021 it won three Grands Prix: Direct, Social & Influencer, and Brand Experience & Activation.