Saving a Stadium′s Spirit

#EternoCalderon

In Spain, we live and breathe football. It′s more than a sport-. It′s an unspoken bond between people regardless of race, language or status. Home to our pride, the two biggest clubs–Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid–it′s no surprise that the football spirit is even more fanatical, energetic and momentous in Madrid.

There has been a lot of hype about the historical Vicente Calderon as it bids us farewell to make way for urban redevelopments. For players and fans, it′s like saying goodbye to a best friend. It′s like taking away a home– one that has cumulated a heartfelt love for years and years, generation after generation.

The stadium was established in 1966 and home to Atlético Madrid. As distinguished ex-player Javier Irureta put it, ¨It was a difficult stadium for visiting teams. The support would get so invested, they were so, so, so, so loud. They were so loyal, and helped the players so much.¨

A stadium is merely a physical stadium without its stories and purpose. The Calderon emanated its own soul. It was a common ground between players and spectators. It helped to shape the identity of football in Madrid and create unbreakable bonds. The power of football.

Beyond the glitz and glamour of football as a sport, there is a deeper, more essential value when you look it in its essence. It unites, it loves and it shapes. It′s its own culture. And it′s an international language.  As advertisers, we need to constantly harness how people think and what best caters to them. For the football community, it′s about sustaining the love and life of football– the joy it brings, the way it unites, not divides.

Our new campaign for Libero asserts the significance of keeping the football ethos burning and alive. More importantly, we wanted to make the stadium spirit remain eternal by donating physical parts of the stadium to football communities that needed it most. For #EternoCalderon, it was about picture giving back to the very community that gave the stadium its life.

Surrounding football communities in Madrid regularly hold their own matches and practices. However, many lack the proper equipment to play. The campaign was a call to action to help these players by the donation of equipment such as stadium lights, seats, goalposts and electronics.

They gave the Vicente Calderon its life, so now it′s about the Calderon giving them life.

The campaign was also released in light of World Organ Donation Day to encourage football fans to rethink their own attitudes and support towards organ donation. We wanted to achieve a duality: the ¨organs¨ of the stadium give life and will incredibly benefit those in need yet there will be a part of the stadium that’s kept alive through the ¨organ¨.

There are some good examples of how others have used football to benefit. The University of Brighton collaborated with teams like Liberi Nantis, the first football team in Italy entirely composed by refugees and asylum seekers. The main aim was to support their mental, physical and emotional welfare. A recent research by La Trobe University’s Centre for Sport and Social Impact found that for every one player, and the clubs are three times more useful for developing social networks than work, education or other community group networks.

The #EternoCalderon is a celebration of communities, a historical entity and an undying spirit that will remain forever. Have a look at our emotional campaign below.