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

This partnership marked the brand's venture into the world of sports, signifying the need for a prestigious campaign. To achieve this, top striker 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.

The brief outlined the need to generate awareness and successfully launch Persil into the sports world. With a specific emphasis on DIG’s most recent innovation: A detergent promising ‘first time, every time’ stain removal in a convenient capsule.

Our partnership with Arsenal F.C. kicked off with "The Autograph," a short film tracing the journey of a young Arsenal fan who secures Bukayo Saka's signature on his shirt, only for it to be accidentally washed away by his parents with Persil. Following this mishap, the boy embarks on a quest throughout North London to find Saka, continually missing him until the footballer finally tracks him down. The spot concludes with a simple yet impactful message: "Clean Responsibly." Then, to build hype prior to its premiere, we filled North London's streets with a poster campaign inspired by Bukayo Saka’s signature, what people didn’t know is that seven of which bore his genuine autograph. With the aid of influencers, we unveiled this secret, and in a matter of minutes people had flooded the streets, turning our ads into priceless collector’s items.

With this new partnership, it was vital to engage with fan-love and make an authentic connection to the club. As the team's most revered player, Bukayo Saka was the perfect match.

Our breakthrough moment came in thinking about the times that fans and players connect over moments of getting dirty: the marks on a shirt after a goal, the sweat and tears of a loss, or getting a much-coveted player’s signature on your shirt.

But that’s a ‘stain’ you don't want washed out. What if our tough stain removal was the villain in the story and did erase a real player's signature? That’s how The Autograph was born.

“The Autograph”, is a short film that follows a young Arsenal fan as he finally manages to secure his idol's autograph, Bukayo Saka, on his shirt. However, tragedy strikes when his parents unknowingly include the prized possession in the family laundry, resulting in the autograph being washed away by Persil's new capsules. Thus begins a quest to track down Bukayo Saka across North London for another signature. Despite visiting iconic locations like the Arsenal Stadium, a photo studio, and even his barbershop, the fan always narrowly misses him. Just as he's about to give up, Saka serendipitously finds him, granting the fan his coveted autograph once again. The spot concludes with a simple warning “Clean Responsibly”.

The campaign reached over 270 million people globally, with 7 million impressions to date. Online content boasted a 98% positive sentiment and an engagement rate 87% higher than the industry average. Social media mentions surged by 1642%, contributing to an earned reach of over 82 million. The brand also experienced a 93% increase in brand affinity and a 65% rise in brand consideration.

High praise came from Juliet Slot, the Chief Commercial Officer of Arsenal Football Club, who said “It’s the best execution for a brand/player I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been around a long time”. But more importantly, "Dirt Is Good" was positioned at the heart of sports culture, engaging a new audience with untapped potential.