How FIFA 23 tapped a cultural sensation to launch with a bang

Context

Each year, EA Sports had a recurring challenge - launch their new FIFA game with more hype than the year before. This is a challenge when most of the FIFA community recognise that the game hardly changes year on year.

Objectives

• Get people excited to play FIFA 23 while they're still playing FIFA 22
• Drive sales of the new game
• Show off the "new" features of FIFA 23

Strategy

To promote the launch of Fifa 23, EA Sports signed up Ted Lasso, the fictional manager from the Apple TV+ show, and his Premier League squad AFC Richmond to join its roster of real-life managers and teams.
The team was integrated into the game, along with the club’s home ground, Nelson Road. Players could manage the team in the game's "Career Mode", or receive special items in the game's "Ultimate Team" mode.
Lasso’s official Twitter account kicked off the partnership with a post featuring the back of his head getting a motion capture scan. Then a launch film confirmed the sponsorship, achieving over 7 million views on the first day and trending on a number of social platforms.

Outcome

The campaign earned 13.2 billion media impressions in a month, with AFC Richmond becoming the 17th most-played team in Fifa (out of over 700 real teams). More than 2,000 articles were written about the partnership. With no paid media, the campaign got more social buzz than when the show won four Emmy Awards. Streaming of Ted Lasso on Apple TV+ went up 35%. And the campaign won the Cannes Grand Prix in Brand Experience & Activation and Gold in Entertainment Lions for Gaming.