Background and Context

Corona México has always been alongside soccer in Mexico. The brand is the official sponsor of 8 Liga MX professional teams besides the Mexican National Team. It is by far the most important beer drinking occassion in the country: In the stadiums, at restaurants and bars where people gather to watch the games or at home for game day viewing parties. Due to the pandemic, soccer came to a grinding halt. Together with soccer-associated beer sales.

For the first 60 days of the pandemic ALL efforts from Corona focused on helping the population. Hospitals and clinics were built, gel was produced, water was distributed to marginalized communities, etc. Going into the 90-day stretch we knew the brand had to provide one more thing. BRING PEOPLE, SOCCER AND BEER TOGETHER AGAIN IN A MOMENT OF JOY. Whatever it took.

Creative challenge

Our challenge was to do an activation to restore joy to Mexicans, during lockdown, working from our homes, without the abiility to go out to film, play or produce anything.

Solution

The Match of Ages is a BRAND NEW 90-minute game, edited in post-production, between the two biggest rivals in the country Chivas de el Guadalajara and Aguilas del América. It was NOT a compilation of past games. The new game we created was full of the most impressive plays, goals, superstars from 1950 to 2020. Playing for the first time alongside each other.

Execution

In partnership with the biggest network in México TELEVISA, it aired on primetime TV and streamed live, bringing soccer back to Mexicans the day the real "Clásico" between the two teams was to be played.

We "played" a 90-minute game, which was broadcast on Sunday, June 7, 2020. We edited 70 hours of footage, 24 hours a day, for 45 days based on players’ moves, location on the field and speed.

The idea was not only to give joy to Mexican soccer lovers, but also to help the difficult situation that was being experienced. That is why the historical advertising billboards were re-sold to well-known brands, and that money was donated to combat the effects of Covid-19.

What was created for Corona México is more of an unprecedented entertainment platform, capable of being replicated in different countries and sports around the world.

The Match of Ages broke the barriers of time, innovating the way of making entertainment, with impeccable editing and post-production work, to be considered one of the most distinguished works of recent times.

This entertainment platform could be adapted to any other market with a passion for sports (and even e-sports!).