Long standing FIFA partner Coca-Cola is adding to the ever increasing lists of Women’s World Cup ‘firsts’ for Canada 2015 by rolling out the first ever Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour.
Mirroring its Brazil 2014 approach, albeit massively scaled down and focusing on the tournament host country, the soft drinks behemoth has created a fan experience roadshow that is visiting 12 cities across Canada.
This coast-to-coat physical experience is being backed up by a mirroring digital campaign hubbed around the microsite http://trophytour.coca-cola.ca/. (Complimentary tickets can be reserved via the campaign website.)
From shopping centres and public spaces, to university campuses and famous landmarks, the tour experience itself aims to enable fans to be ‘part of history’ and in addition to seeing the trophy itself, offers three core pillar experiences.
The aim is to offer fans a feel for what to expect during the tournament itself during the summer and the experience enables fans to record a cheer for the favourite team, hang out in the FIFA lock room, play 16-person ‘foosball’, learn soccer skills and tricks from freestyle experts and leads down a winner’s tunnel which leads the way to the trophy display where fans will get their photo with the original FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy.
The central ‘Trophy Photo’ strand offers a chance for fans to have their pictures taken and shared socially with the genuine FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy.
http://trophytourphoto.coca-cola.ca/Social/Viewer?id=W2Q68WQ~1~-~1354&r=t&l=en
I had an awesome time at the FIFA #WWC #TrophyTour! #OpenArms http://t.co/VKIBd6oUiC
— Katy Ryan (@katyking26) April 5, 2015
Looks like somebody's ready for their #closeup. #TrophyTour #Ottawa pic.twitter.com/Aty3CQiQCn
— Coca-Cola Canada (@cocacola_ca) April 2, 2015
Cumberland United Soccer Club U9 Academy Girls kickn @ the FIFA World Cup Trophy tour! #TSN #trophytour #Duthie'sPose pic.twitter.com/TU94I8fy9K
— F. L (@TheBluFunk) April 4, 2015
‘Ultimate Keeper’ enables attendees to show they have what it takes between the posts and they go head-to-head with the Coca-Cola Robot Goalie.
Don't forget to drop by today to see the FIFA WWC #TrophyTour – can you stand up to the ultimate keeper? @cocacola_ca pic.twitter.com/qifEHf2vP2
— Mic Mac Mall (@micmacmall) April 19, 2015
@BalGosal shoots and scores! #TrophyTour #RobotGoalie pic.twitter.com/oTFlWh6rnh
— Ron Soreanu (@RonSoreanu) April 1, 2015
While at the end of the experience, all attendees can take home a limited edition (branded) FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour Coca-Cola bottle.
A series of special guest appearances, prizes and mementoes are part of the visitor experience, plus there will be special guest appearances from Official Mascot Shuéme and other interactive, engaging elements and surprises.
‘Coca-Cola is proud to be presenting the first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour, bringing Canadians a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get see this magnificent trophy up-close,’ trumpets Coca-Cola Canada marketing VP Michael Samoszewski.
‘We are excited to share in Canada’s passion for soccer and uniting Canadians from coast-to-coast at our Trophy Tour experience.’
‘As the stars of the game prepare to take centre stage, it is our honour to bring supporters across Canada the trophy that will eventually be lifted by the next FIFA Women’s World Cup champions,’ adds FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil.
‘We are pleased to once again be working with Coca-Cola in sharing our love of football with the fans ahead of this historic tournament.’
Indeed, it was back in January that FIFA itself first started trailing the event via its Your Goals initiative – hopeing to ensure that the world’s eyes begin to turn to Canada 2015 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy.
Unsurprisingly the tour is benefiting from support from the Canadian National Women’s team.
‘This trophy tour will be the rallying cry for our team leading up to the tournament in June,’ said Canada women’s coach John Herdman.
‘As the Trophy makes its way across Canada, and we see the support and pride that Canadians have for the game and our team, it will push us even harder.’
The trophy tour is also benefiting from third-party promotional work both across traditional channels and social platforms such as Twitter,
.@FIFAWWC #Canada2015 @cocacola_ca #TrophyTour kicks off today in #Ottawa! Will you be there? http://t.co/cwxWWcdBjg pic.twitter.com/25vFzcfJ4w
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) April 1, 2015
and via YouTube too.
The tour was even promoted in the Canadian Parliament in late March when Pat Rose spoke from the floor of her hope that it will ‘inspire Canadians to get active and to make sports and activity a part of their lives and of course it will build excitement ahead of the tournament.’
The politician even went so far as to thank Coca-Cola Canada for supporting opportunities like this. It is a great example of community support and business leadership.
‘I am wishing the tour great success,’ said Rose. ‘And I encourage Canadians to visit the Fan Experience in their community and wish Canada’s National Women’s Team success in the tournament.’
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The objective of the ‘Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola’, of course, is to drive general awareness of the tournament, build excitement among fans, provide an in-person experience, encourage soccer participation and, of course, to shift tickets and promote Coke’s FIFA and football association.
This tour is an innovation in so far as it is a ‘first’, but whether it is quite what Coke’s new sports marketing and partnerships boss Ivan Pollard is thinking about when he says he is going to focus on innovation in the sports sponsorship space remains to be seen.
Pollard has suggested that Coca-Cola might move in something of a different direction from the last decade by saying ‘I am looking at things afresh’.
Has this already been hinted at perhaps by the recent announcement that Pepsico is replacing Coca-Cola as the NBA’s new beverage partner (which consolidates its existing relationships with the other three big US sports leagues – the NFL, MLB, and NHL)?
Pollard is certainly aiming to focus on innovation in the sponsorship space.
Of course, whilst this first tour is not on anywhere near the same scale of the mammoth men’s trophy tour from 2014,
It does clearly mark another significant breakthrough for the women’s game.
This is the first ever Women’s World Cup Trophy Tour and is one of several ‘first ever’ campaigns and activations rolling out for Canada 2015 such as Nike US Women’s Team National Shirt Launch and Continental Tyres England Team #RoadToCanada campaign.
Could the tournament mark a tipping point not only for women’s football, but also for serious sports brand sponsorship of female-focused properties?
The two month, 12-city tour starts in Ottawa on 1 April and it will then move on to Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax, Moncton, Kingston, Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and finishing in Vancouver.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup itself kicks off on 6 June.
Just don’t confuse it with World Rugby’s ‘Rugby World Cup Trophy Tour’ which has also been travelling through Canada at the same time.
The @rugbyworldcup has just finished in Canada. Watch it here! https://t.co/fUsiW2zM9r #trophytour #rwc2015
— Engage 2015 (@Engage2015) April 9, 2015
Links
Coca-Cola Trophy Tour
http://trophytour.coca-cola.ca/
Coca-Cola Canada
https://www.youtube.com/user/CocaColaCanada
Coca-Cola Canada Twitter:
FIFA Women’s World Cup
http://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/
FIFA Website:
FIFA Women’s World Cup Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/fifawomensworldcup?_rdr
FIFA Women’s World Twitter:
FIFA Live Your Goals:
http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/footbal…
More videos from FIFA on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/fifa
