YPF is the national energetic company in Argentina and for many years now, sponsor of the Argentina’s football team, with Messi as an ambassador. In December 2022, Argentina won the Football World Cup, a dreamed victory for a country very passionate about football. This brought so much joy to people. For once, everyone seemed to get along again, despite the complicated economic and social climate that was taking place. But a year later, in December 2023, things were back to black. With the heat of a long and intense process of presidential elections, Argentinians were once again divided in an ideology gap between each other. YPF, who had been focusing its communications on messages that intended to make this gap narrower, wanted to bring back some of the joy Argentinians had lived just a year ago, while celebrating Messi after his great triumph.

The creative idea works directly on the insight that nothing brings Argentinians together as the national football team. And, Messi, as the indisputable representative of Argentinian football and consecrated hero after the 2022 World Cup. YPF, as official sponsor of the National Selection and in partnership with Messi as brand ambassador for many years, wanted to celebrate him, a year after his biggest triumph. There were many possible ways to do it, but, with the heated social context that was currently taking place, so different from that of a year before, this celebration could also serve as a way of reminding people the joy they felt. The idea was to thank Messi, not for the glory he brought with his victory, but for bringing Argentinians from all along the country, together. And, in this way, shifting the conversation of the country’s dense social context to a happy shared memory.

For many years, there has been a growing gap in Argentina which divides people and generates a tense social climate. But there is something that manages to leave every difference behind: Argentinian’s passion for football and, more precisely, for the Argentinian Selection. Whenever they play, people get together and forget every disagreement. So in December 2022, when Argentina won the World Cup, magic happened: joy flooded every corner of the country. The streets became a party, filled with people hugging each other and celebrating together. But a year later, all of this was forgotten, people where more divided than ever due to presidential elections and a tough economic crisis. YPF, as a national love brand and sponsor of the Argentinian Football Selection, decided to take action and remind everyone that there was a reason to get together: celebrate Messi and the 1 year anniversary as champion of the world.

Throughout the film, we see someone touring different landscapes, carrying a cart, and leaving the lime line that marks a football court along his way. We do not know who this is, for he is hooded. We see him pass through cities, beaches, mountains, forests, roads, an YPF gas station, which gives us a clear hint that this is Argentina. He keeps his march steadily, through rain, snow, and heat, leaving the lime line as he goes. Suddenly he stops, takes off his hood and we discover Lionel Messi. A boy standing nearby smiles and passes a ball to Messi, who puts it firmly in the ground, generating an energetic wave which expands out. We see Argentina from a space view. The country’s perimeter is in fact the lime line Messi had been marking throughout the film. A super reads: Thanks Leo for bringing our homeland together through your football.

The film went viral. It surpassed the 1 million views on the first day it premiered organically on YouTube. People shared it on their social media channels and via Whatsapp. In whole, the film had a total of 8,2 millon organic views, an organic reach of 124.978 and 398.191 organic impressions. With an engagement rate of 59,2% and 71% of positive sentiment, results were above expectations, proving that the main objective was achieved. While social climate was still heated, this content gave people something else to talk about, sharing it with others and remembering the joy that had brought them together a year ago.