Coca-Cola is launching a campaign starring Jermaine Jenas that offers fans the chance to win Premier League tickets and support football charity StreetGames.
The campaign features two short films and an on-pack promotion designed to drive awareness of the challenges faced by youngsters in accessing support from coaches and finding space to play football.
The "Ball games allowed" project is built on the insight that 50% of young people say it is difficult to play in their local community, with the campaign name a riposte to the prevalence of "no ball games" signs in many residential areas.
As part of an ongoing partnership with StreetGames, Coca-Cola has promised to offer access to coaches and pitches. The multi-brand, on-pack promotion will give consumers the chance to win tickets to Premier League games. The promotion is live now and will run until 1 September.
Two videos – "Coaches" and "Pitches" – feature pundit and retired footballer Jenas talking about how football kept him out of trouble when he was a youth and calling for more football spaces and access to coaches. Jenas is joined by young people discussing the challenges of playing football and how important the game is to their physical and mental well-being.
The on-pack promotion was created by Haygarth, with pack design by Bullet Proof. The above-the-line work was by M&C Saatchi and M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment. The creatives were Phillip Meyler and Darren Keff. The films were directed by Sam Huntley through M&C Film. MediaCom is the media agency.
Jenas said: "Football gave me everything when I was young – it took me away from anything bad and put a smile on my face. But it’s clear that there is still a lack of football spaces and coaches, particularly in more disadvantaged areas."
Kris Robbens, marketing director ar Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland, added: "Football has an incredible power to bring people together and break down barriers, and we want to celebrate that. But we know that many young people are still struggling to access pitches to play or support from coaches, so we want to address that. By working together with StreetGames, we want to give more aspiring footballers the opportunity to play in their local areas."
Coca-Cola's relationship with StreetGames is in its 10th year.
