--- title: EA Sports Next Generation | 4th Hashtag Sports Awards description: The Hashtag Sports Awards recognize excellence in fan and consumer engagement across sports entertainment content, campaigns, and creators. image: https://www.hashtagsports.com/hubfs/awards/shortlist-2022/ea-sports-next-generation.jpg --- ### 🎉 2022 Shortlist ##### EA Sports Next Generation **Entrant:** EA Sports NOMINEE ✨ - Best Brand Experience or Activation   ###### Share: [** ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hashtagsports.com%2Fawards%2Fshortlist-2022%2Fea-sports-next-generation) [** ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hashtagsports.com%2Fawards%2Fshortlist-2022%2Fea-sports-next-generation&text=EA+Sports+Next+Generation+%7C+4th+Hashtag+Sports+Awards) [** ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hashtagsports.com%2Fawards%2Fshortlist-2022%2Fea-sports-next-generation) ![ea-sports-next-generation](https://www.hashtagsports.com/hs-fs/hubfs/awards/shortlist-2022/ea-sports-next-generation.jpg?width=2434&name=ea-sports-next-generation.jpg) ABOUT THIS ENTRY During a cluttered holiday marketing period, we needed to drive awareness of EA SPORTS FIFA 22’s promotional holiday offer with an idea that would cut through the noise. We wanted to capture the attention of football fans around the world and drive new and lapsed player acquisition. With the offer designed around the ‘Next Generation’ of football talent, our goal was to ensure that EA SPORTS FIFA 22 was hitting the headlines – so we made the headlines ourselves. We teamed up to create a hybrid physical and digital activation, starting with custom ‘Next Generation’ newspapers highlighting six of the world’s brightest young football stars. The newspapers were then distributed via EA SPORTS FIFA-branded newsstands in the heart of high-traffic cities London, Paris and New York, as well as online, to engage players around the world. How does this represent “Excellence in Engagement”? Telling the stories of the 6 hero Next Generation athletes reinforced the campaign through a one-of-a-kind activation, creating a physical way to bring to life a digital campaign and providing a new way to engage with EA SPORTS FIFA fans. 70+ market-specific influencers and players amplified and extended the life of the papers and the holiday offer through digital channels, creating a buzz in each market and ensuring EA SPORTS FIFA 22 was unmissable on social media. Digital downloads enabled those unable to pick up a physical copy access to the content, ensuring wider campaign distribution and reach. **Objective: **Holiday is a critical moment for EA SPORTS. But they aren’t alone. It is a noisy and cluttered time of the year, making it hard to stand out. In an effort to incentivize lapsed players to return to the game, EA SPORTS FIFA developed a holiday promotion centered around limited edition in-game player cards of the brand’s Next Generation of football talent. We needed to tell the story of these footballers to show fans how they can take their ultimate squad to the next level. With football normally reserved for the back pages, we wanted to ensure that EA’s Next Generation was creating front page headlines. So we decided to write the headlines ourselves in a meaningful and tangible way. **Strategy & Execution: **We produced the Next Generation newspaper, a traditional 32-page broadsheet with six limited editions translated into English, French, Spanish and Italian. The newspaper featured a 4-page spread for each Next Generation athlete, in-depth articles and quiz questions, and media native advertisements with a simple QR code mechanic for the promotional holiday offer. We then brought the newspapers to the streets of London, Paris and NYC through bespoke EA SPORTS FIFA-branded newsstands, where papers were distributed in real-time. The newsstands embodied the energy and visual aesthetic of EA SPORTS FIFA 22 and its ambassadors, whilst remaining true to the newsstand format in each market to create an unmissable, organic brand moment that directly connected fans and commuters with physical copies of the Next Generation newspaper. Additional distribution at Chelsea FC and Manchester City FC home matches connected with local football fans during a Premier League match-day experience. **Results: **The campaign saw over 14,000 papers distributed physically and digitally across the key markets. Media investment drove significant over-delivery in a number of key metrics, including over 25m impressions across social through owned and partner channels. More importantly, FIFA 22 daily users were up 10% YoY during the campaign, with an additional 10% increase in new players, resulting in this being EA Sports FIFA’s most successful holiday campaign ever. **Production** EA Sports We Are Social New York COPA90 Mundial Original Syndicate Secret Walls **Credits** [**Jas Dhami**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jas-dhami-08523852/) Director of Sport We Are Social New York [**Gaby Kirschner**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-kirschner/) Associate of Sport We Are Social New York **[Josh Noble](https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-noble-b6bb6496/) **Strategist We Are Social New York [**Shawn** **Francis**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/francisshawn/) Head of Creative We Are Social New York [**DJ Jackson**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-james-jackson/?originalSubdomain=ca) VP, Brand Marketing EA Sports **[Kevin Strunk](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinstrunk4/) **Sr. Manager, Brand Marketing EA Sports [**James Salmon**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessalmonuk/) Director, Brand Marketing EA Sports [**Nandy Misir**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nanditamisir/) Brand Marketing Lead EA Sports **[Josh Farber](https://www.linkedin.com/in/farberjosh/) **Director, Marcom Strategy EA Sports [**Simon Joyce**](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/simon-joyce-34735324) Chief Business Officer COPA90 [**Katie McGregor**](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kate-mcgregor-9082262a) Head of Client Services COPA90 **[Stuart Davis](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/stuart-davis-19b61832) **Client Partner COPA90 [**Fisayo Aluko**](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/fisayo-alafe-aluko-7382bb38) Client Partner COPA90 [**Dylan Soopramania**](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dylan-soopramania-5a439223) Creative Director COPA90 **[Ally Everitt](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/allyeveritt) **Sr. Project Manager COPA90 [**Cameron Sims**](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/cameronsims) Media Director COPA90 [**Sam Stringer**](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/samuelstringer) Media Campaigns Manager COPA90 **[Rob Michaels](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rob-michaels-5b80604b) **Director of Production Operations COPA90 [**Seb White**](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/seb-white-7aaba419) Managing Editor MUNDIAL **[Owen Blackhurst](https://www.instagram.com/owenblackhurst/?hl=en) **Editor MUNDIAL [**James Bird**](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/james-bird-bb1110122) Deputy Editor MUNDIAL **[Alex Mertekis](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alex-mertekis-3a906764) **Art Director MUNDIAL [**Ben Roth**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencroth) Founder Original Syndicate **[Steve Richqrds](https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-richards-496358195) **Founder Original Syndicate [**John Hemsley**](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/johhn-design) Set Designer Original Syndicate **[Kevin Collins](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-collins-873a6610) **CEO Secret Walls [**Terry Guy**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terryguy) Founder Secret Walls **[Jimi Mackay](https://secretwalls.world/) **Creative Director Secret Walls #### Celebrate in Las Vegas Join us for the 4th Hashtag Sports Awards™ presented by Budweiser on the evening of July 12, 2022 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.   [![RESERVE SEATS](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/834568/c79439a7-e53f-4aa9-9d60-2b68caf80d89.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/834568/c79439a7-e53f-4aa9-9d60-2b68caf80d89)