SPN asks footfall fans to get their gloves off for LaLiga kick-off

The Sports Cluster of Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) has kicked off the 86th edition of LaLiga with a bold statement – ‘It’s not Football. It’s War’. The stakes for this year’s season are very high as some of the best teams will be fighting tooth and nail to secure the leading position in the Spanish top tier. Come kick off, no one will leave any stone unturned in achieving their respective targets. All the explosive action on this season of LaLiga will telecast August 20 onwards on Sony SIX and Sony SIX HD. 

The highlight for this year’s campaign, conceptualised by JWT, is the verbal banter that ensues between football rivals as their favourite clubs clash on the field. It resonates with die-hard fans of football, who possess a deep loyalty towards clubs and players. What happens on the field translates to banter between fans off the field. This campaign attempts to capture the scale of this property by showcasing the sportsmanship and competition between the teams and how their fans react to it in the most unique possible manner, building an instant connect with football fans all over India.

LaLiga, which boasts of top seeds such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Neymar, Antoine Griezmann and Gareth Bale, has a massive fan-base globally and is one of the most followed football leagues in the world. Viewers can also look forward to Pione Sisto, Ganso, Marlos Moreno and more who have signed new deals with top tier teams of the Spanish football league. This year’s campaign has been curated keeping in mind the enormous scale and viewer base for the league. 

The new season of LaLiga will commence on August 20, 2016 and SPN will have a complete 360 degree rollout across mass media.

Commenting on the campaign, Rajesh Kaul, President, Distribution and Sports Business, Sony Pictures Network, said, “We always aim to create new and innovative content for all our viewers. Through this campaign, we want to highlight the scale of LaLiga by reaching out to the football fans of India.”

He further said, “Since the inception of the sports cluster at SPN, we have strategically worked to establish it as the premier destination for an unparalleled football viewing experience. Through our tactical acquisition of marquee international tournaments and international domestic leagues, we have established ourselves as a one-stop destination for international football. And we want to give our viewers an experience of the highest quality of club and international football.”

The campaign has kickstarted with three 30-second films, which showcase the pranking between the fans in unusual situations.

The Breakup: An Atletico Madrid fan sabotages his colleague’s (a Real Madrid fan) relationship by sending a fake break-up message to his girlfriend.

Airport Security: An Atletico Madrid fan sabotages the travel of a Barcelona fan at the airport by clandestinely packing a pair of nun chucks and a huge chopping knife in his hand baggage.

Pigeons: A Barcelona fan, who is ready to go on a big date, is in for a shock to see his shiny convertible completely covered in bird-poop, courtesy his neighbour – a Real Madrid fan.

The films showcase a host of day-to-day scenarios and the football rivalry that ensues thereafter, all ending with the powerful message, ‘It’s not Football. It’s War’, as a beginning to the new season of LaLiga.

Campaign credits:
Client: Sony Pictures Network India
Creative agency: JWT
Chief Creative Officer: Senthil Kumar 
National Creative Director: Tista Sen
Production House: Ignition Films 
Director: Rensil D’Silva
Executive Business Director: Anitha Krishnan
Senior Creative Director: Vinayak Gaikwad, Shounak Guhathakurta
Account Director: Saptarshi Banik 
Creative team: Vinayak Gaikwad, Shounak Guhathakurta, Sreenath Pillai, Ganesh Palkar
Senior Account Executive: Sanat Shende