ITALY WON’T PLAY AT THE FIFA WORLD CUP. BUT ITALIAN FANS WILL DONATE THEIR PASSION TO ANOTHER TEAM, THANKS TO FONZIES’ CLEVER CAMPAIGN BY DENTSU CREATIVE

100m purposeless Italians can now root for the team that needs it most: Canada.

‘Devastated!’, screamed the headlines as the Italian national soccer team failed once again to qualify for the World Cup.  With some of the most passionate football fans in the world, the country was now teamless, with no one to cheer for.

Not anymore. Fonzies, Mondelez’s number one cheese-flavoured snack in Italy, has come up with a crazy idea to give almost 58 million people in Italy and 100m Italians around the world a new team to get behind. The one with the fewest fans in the world: Canada. 

With Canada’s first World Cup campaign in 36 years kicking off against Belgium on Wednesday 23rd November, Fonzies has issued a global call for Italians to give their hearts, hands and voices to the Reds with a video shared on social media. Cheering on their team usually brings all Italians together: male and female, young and old, North and South. It’s also proven to be one of the most powerful ways for a team to increase its odds of winning. So Fonzies hopes the heat of the Italian fans will nowgive Canadians a real chance. 

But being a dedicated fan takes practice, so DENTSU CREATIVE Italy, the agency that came up with the Fonzies forCanada campaign, has produced the perfect training programme. With coaching from some famous influencers, Italians can learnhow to become real Canadian supporters, including their chants and correct player name pronunciation.

Fans can register and download a supporter card at www.fonziesforcanada.it and get a GIF pack on Giphy to wear their new colours with pride on social.

The power of Italian cheering cannot be held back for the second time in a row, and with Fonzies we have found an outlet for all our passion. Italians fans are ready to answer the call!” said Riccardo Fregoso, Chief Creative Officer of DENTSU CREATIVE Italy. “This is a perfect example of Modern Creativity: solving a business problem for Fonzies, as the main sponsor of a national team that didn’t make it to the World Cup, with strong audience insight and culturally relevant creativity.” 

Francesco Uguccioni, Fonzies Brand Manager, Mondelez added: “In a moment so tough for supporters of our beloved National Team, together with DENTSU CREATIVE we wanted to achieve something original and unique: a communication campaign representing sports values in an entertaining, modern, positive, 100% Fonzies way.”

As one diehard fan said: “After Italy’s exclusion from the World Cup my enthusiasm for the event was zero. I certainly would have followed the World Cup, but now thanks to Fonzies I have a new, much more fun way to do it: Forza Canada!”

The campaign, including OOH, digital, social, print, gaming and in bar experiential was created by DENTSU CREATIVE Italy, with media planning and buying through Carat Italy; and production by The Big Angle, DENTSU CREATIVE.

Credits:

Campaign: Fonzies for Canada

Brand: Fonzies (Mondelez)

Client: Francesco Uguccioni, brand manager Chips (Fonzies, Cipster, Yonkers) – Mondelez

Chief Creative Officer: Riccardo Fregoso


Executive Creative Director: Maurizio Tozzini


Head of Creative Operations: Antonella Vicari 


Creative Director: Giorgio Maria Bologna


Sr. Copywriter: Lorenzo Bonechi


Sr. Art Director: Nadia Charif


Motion Graphic Designer: Nicolò Frontini


Copywriter: Francesco Vecchi


Art Director: Edoardo Serafini, Matteo Francesco Bardoscia


Senior Content Manager: Luca Nebbioli



Design Director: Laura Liguori
Graphic Designer: Stefano Trolese

Executive Strategy Director: Samanta Giuliani


Strategist: Chiara Chiarino

CEO & Chairman: Emanuele Nenna


Senior Vice President, Executive Member of the Board, DentsuCreative, CEO, The Story Lab: Stefano Pagani


Client Service Director: Jenny Nieri


Client Director: Alberto Bommartini


Account Executive: Thomas Chillemi


Head of Influencer Marketing: Giulia Laura Peracchio


Influencer Marketing Specialist: Nicholas Rioldi

Media Planning: CARAT Italy


Partner: Anna Pasqualotto


Leader: Sara Rebizzi



Client Director experiential: Serena Lembo 


Creative Director experiential: Diego Tiziani


Operation Manager experiential: Matteo Stella



Production Company: The Big Angle


Managing Director & Executive Producer: Simona Dalla Porta


Director: Nicola Schito


DOP: Roberto Minotti 


Head of Production: Francesca Castello


Producer: Monica Buongiorno

Production Manager: Komlan Ahianvi


Assistant Director: Peter O’Neill


Set Designer – Giulia Mandricardo


Colorist: Diego La Rosa


Sound Designer: Matteo Parolini

Talent: Gli Autogol


Talent Management: 21 B.E. – Sport Marketing Agency