Situation: In August 2023, the brand forged a partnership with Arsenal F.C. as a sponsor. Both Dirt Is Good and Arsenal shared a common passion for creating emotional connections with supporters and consumers, as well as a commitment to executing ambitious and creative sponsorship campaigns.

Brief: This partnership marked the brand's venture into the world of sports, signifying the need for a massive campaign. To achieve this, rising star Bukayo Saka was selected as the campaign's hero. The primary objective was to position the brand within the sports realm, leveraging its untapped potential and reaching a new customer base that had yet to be explored.

Objectives: The brief outlined the need to generate awareness and successfully launch Persil into the sports world. This was to be accomplished through a strategic blend of PR initiatives and leveraging the newly established sponsorship deal with Arsenal F.C.

Persil's new short film, "The Autograph," tells the story of a boy whose prized shirt, autographed by his idol Bukayo Saka, is accidentally washed away by his parents.

To generate excitement leading up to the film's premiere, we launched a unique scavenger hunt in Arsenal F.C’s backyard—North London. Days before the film's release, we scattered hundreds of mysterious posters across the area, each inspired by Saka's real autograph. In total we had 28 different designs all with one mission: to hide seven posters you could steal, with #7’s real autograph. But people didn’t know that yet...

With this new partnership, it was crucial to tap into fan loyalty and establish an authentic connection with the club. As the team's most revered player, Bukayo Saka's coveted autograph provided the perfect avenue for engagement.

Our strategy aimed to amplify our sponsorship and promote our main film effectively. We devised an entire teaser campaign centered around the theme of finding Saka's autograph throughout North London. By leveraging something cherished by our fans and rewarding those closest to the club, we aimed to enhance brand affinity and consideration.

First, Bukayo Saka signed seven blank posters freely, which meant each signature's unique size, position, and style would be a grounding element in the design of each.

Each poster creatively depicted the film's plot, portraying the story of a boy who accidentally washed away his idol's autograph from his shirt.

We employed a custom silk-screen printing technique to safeguard the authenticity of the autographs during production. It was crucial to ensure that none of the genuine autographs were compromised – just imagine if Saka found out one of his autographs was ruined!

Following this, we launched a mysterious poster campaign across the streets of North London, strategically concealing the seven real autographs amidst hundreds of other posters and designs.

Shortly after the posters were displayed, influencers revealed the campaign's secret. Within just two hours, enthusiastic fans successfully located and claimed the posters, instantly elevating our advertisements to coveted collector's items.

The campaign had a reach of over 270 million, including 7 million impressions to date. Online content garnered a positive sentiment 98% of the time, with an engagement rate 87% higher than the industry average. Social media mentions surged by 1642%, contributing to an earned reach of over 82 million. Additionally, the brand experienced a significant increase in brand affinity, up by 93%, and brand consideration, up by 65%.

Furthermore, the campaign received high praise from Juliet Slot, the Chief Commercial Officer of Arsenal Football Club, who described it as the “best execution for a brand sponsorship she has ever seen.”

Most importantly, the campaign successfully positioned "Dirt Is Good" at the center of sports culture and effectively engaged with a new audience, with tons of untapped potential.