FIFA 23 x Ted Lasso
EA Sports aimed to generate significant global buzz for FIFA 23's launch and attract new players beyond its core audience. They sought an innovative way to highlight the game's authenticity and scale by integrating a popular cultural phenomenon, ensuring the execution felt organic and not overtly commercial.
Creative Idea
A fictional football team from a TV show became playable characters in a realistic video game.
To authentically merge two entertainment giants, FIFA 23 integrated AFC Richmond, a beloved fictional team from Ted Lasso, as the first-ever virtual club in the game. This groundbreaking partnership, devoid of overt branding, created massive buzz by treating the show's characters as real entities, captivating both gaming and TV fans.
The Fictional Team That Outplayed Real Giants
13 Billion Impressions Without Paid Media
The campaign’s success relied entirely on the cultural weight of the two brands, achieving 13.2 billion earned media impressions in the first 30 days without any paid media spend. The launch film trended globally on Twitter/X, garnering 7 million views on its first day. This engagement translated into massive in-game adoption; AFC Richmond became the 17th most played team in FIFA 23, outperforming over 680 real-world professional clubs. The partnership also drove a 35% increase in *Ted Lasso* streaming on Apple TV+.
Mo-Cap Scans and CGI Rumors
To maintain the game’s "authenticity-only" rule, TBWA\Media Arts Lab and EA Sports removed all Apple TV+ branding, treating the fictional characters as legitimate athletes. Jason Sudeikis underwent a full 360-degree motion capture scan to replicate his signature gestures. The production team even leaned into a popular internet conspiracy theory that Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent) was a CGI creation; Goldstein’s official press statement joked that the integration wouldn't help "dispel the CGI rumors."
Ratings Built by TV Writers
The integration went beyond visuals. EA Sports collaborated directly with the show’s writers to develop "authentic" player ratings based on character arcs, such as Jamie Tartt’s elite shooting stats and Roy Kent’s high physical aggression. The fictional Nelson Road stadium was meticulously reconstructed in the game engine using Selhurst Park as a reference. The campaign was teased via a single tweet from the @TedLasso account, showing the back of Ted’s head in a mo-cap rig, signaling the first time a fictional team was permitted in the game’s "Rest of World" category.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
EA Sports' FIFA 23 offered unparalleled realism and a global platform for football simulation, making it a credible home for a 'real' fictional team.
Category
Sports video games typically feature only real-world teams and players, adhering strictly to authenticity and established leagues.
Customer
Fans of both FIFA and Ted Lasso desired authentic, surprising crossovers that respected their beloved franchises without feeling like forced advertising.
Culture
The immense cultural phenomenon and widespread affection for Ted Lasso's characters created a unique opportunity for a beloved, authentic integration.
Company
EA Sports' FIFA 23 offered unparalleled realism and a global platform for football simulation, making it a credible home for a 'real' fictional team.
Category
Sports video games typically feature only real-world teams and players, adhering strictly to authenticity and established leagues.
Strategy:
Leverage established cultural phenomena to create unexpected, authentic brand experiences that transcend traditional advertising.
Customer
Fans of both FIFA and Ted Lasso desired authentic, surprising crossovers that respected their beloved franchises without feeling like forced advertising.
Culture
The immense cultural phenomenon and widespread affection for Ted Lasso's characters created a unique opportunity for a beloved, authentic integration.
Strategy:
Leverage established cultural phenomena to create unexpected, authentic brand experiences that transcend traditional advertising.
Results
The campaign generated more buzz than 4 Emmy wins. It achieved these results with no paid media. Over +2000 articles were written globally about the integration. AFC Richmond became the 17th most played team out of over 700 teams in FIFA 23. Streaming of the 'Ted Lasso' show increased by +35%. The campaign garnered 13.2 billion earned impressions in the first 30 days.
+35%
streaming increase
13.2B
earned impressions
17th
most played team
Strategy Technique
Borrow Equity
EA Sports borrowed the immense cultural equity and beloved characters from Ted Lasso to generate unprecedented buzz for FIFA 23. This cross-pollination introduced the game to new audiences and deepened engagement for existing fans.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Collaborate with another brand
The campaign directly partnered FIFA 23 with the Ted Lasso series, integrating its fictional team and characters into the game. This allowed both brands to leverage each other's massive fan bases and cultural relevance.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional in its brilliant strategic idea to treat a fictional sports team as real, brought to life through seamless digital integration into a major video game and supported by clever communication that generated massive organic engagement.
The meticulous technical and creative development required to authentically model and integrate AFC Richmond, its players, kits, and stadium elements into the complex FIFA 23 game engine was a groundbreaking achievement.
The sharp, witty copy in the initial cryptic tweet ('Look out, Mario!') and subsequent campaign communications skillfully built suspense and reinforced the authentic, 'real team' narrative without overt branding.
The campaign's success stemmed from the powerful synergy between an audacious creative idea, its flawless technical execution within a complex digital environment, and the precise communication strategy used to tease and launch it.
