Intel processors are in 80% of the world’s PCs, a category that’s seen six consecutive years of decline.

Since phones have become our favoured connected device, we don’t get excited about PCs anymore. The PC industry hasn’t helped itself either, by creating a complex chronology of hardware and meaningless jargon.

Our objective was to drive re-appraisal of Intel processors as the innovative choice, by creating awareness of the superior nature of the 8th Generation processor – in order to make it a desirable option when buying a new computer.

Nobody wants to engage in conversation about processing capabilities - it’s wallpaper. Demonstration is far more meaningful. To comprehend Intel’s value, we had to get people excited in a way that was bigger than ‘just a PC’.

Instead of communicating rational proof points we wanted to demonstrate the capabilities of Intel’s 8th Gen processor in a way our audience cared about and let them ignite the conversation for us through content designed to spark it.

That spark was football. It’s a key passion for PC considers and source of much debate. We wanted to leverage the tech truth that superior processing power has the ability to solve mysteries and in football there’s no greater mystery than what luck has done for a football team’s fortunes. The age-old argument has always been: when your team wins it’s down to skill, but when they lose it’s just bad luck. But is it?

We wanted to demonstrate the superiority of Intel’s processor and make people reappraise PC’s.

We knew that demonstration of Intel’s capabilities was more meaningful and compelling for PC considers, so showing (not telling) Intel’s processing power was vital. Our strategy was to go beyond this and use deep-data analysis and modelling of football to fuel debate.

Football provided the perfect opportunity for us because football fever was still at its peak following a triumphant World Cup for England and anticipation of the new English Premier League season was mounting.

Video Assistant Refereeing (VAR) is becoming a staple in football and technology’s role in sport continues to be questioned by media and fans as a means to reduce bad or unlucky decisions, thus reducing the luck involved in results. This cultural conversation was relevant to Intel and with the support from the right partner, gave us the right to enter conversation.

Before the 2018/19 season, we partnered with University of Bath and ESPN to create data-powered content using Intel’s processors.

Nine factors constituted luck and we took the role of VAR, replaying every game across the 2018/19 season, correcting incorrect decisions by referees. We modelled the outcome correct decisions would have on the remainder of the game and simulated it 100,000 times. The median score created the new result.

Intel’s 8th Gen processor ensured we could create a plethora of content and rewrite the Premier League table showing how it should’ve finished.

The Luck Index sat on a branded content hub. We fuelled conversation using club-specific content across social and native which amplified conversation.

When the 2018/19 season started we took utilised digital OOH sites outside key Premier League stadiums, reflecting the research results e.g. “Cheer Up Jose, at least luck is on your side” ran in proximity to Old Trafford.

Our campaign created awareness that mattered. Unprompted awareness of Intel’s processing power increased by 39%, perception of Intel as an innovative brand increased by 11.6% - and for the first time in six years PC sales were up in UK, with a peak in the immediate months after our campaign.

The campaign got people talking and secured over 150 pieces of coverage including the top story of the BBC.co.uk homepage, BBC Sport, The Sun, Sky Sports, Mail Online and The Sport Bible; all talking about the influence of luck in football.

Even Jurgen Klopp – the Liverpool Manager - waded into the debate, citing the research during a pre-match press conference.

The Luck Index made Intel visible and took processors from the darkest depths of a PC into the light of cultural sports conversations.