With the stadiums closed to spectators, we helped David Beckham and Inter Miami find a way to keep fans connected through AR. Working with Becky Lockett and Christina Theodoropoulou in Facebook Partnerships, Jane Kinnaird in Facebook Creative Shop and production studio Unit9, we developed an experience for the launch of CF Inter Miami, bringing a local moment to a global audience.
Collaborating with David Beckham, his business team and Inter Miami, we wanted to develop a creative idea that positioned the club as an innovative and forward-thinking brand. As COVID took hold, many of our initial angles had to be rethought while we took a beat to work out what the new normal meant. It was important for Inter Miami to support and sustain a sense of community despite (and perhaps moreso because of) the ongoing COVID-19 situation.
The solution was an AR Filter for Instagram, with both a selfie and back camera mode, featuring stylised Inter Miami fans with a range of fan reactions options - tension, determination and celebration. While watching the games from home, fans can share their reactions in realtime, bringing them closer to Inter Miami and each other.
Inter Miami launched the filter with an Instagram Reel featuring Pizarro (230k views on Facebook, 114k plays on Instagram) ahead of their first game of the season against LA Galaxy.
In an integrated campaign, the AR filter was boosted through ads, shared on the Sports on Facebook Page and liked and commented on by the @Instagram Instagram account (402m followers). It was published to the @InterMiamiFC account, with David, who was in Miami for the launch, helping accelerate uptake by sharing stories feating the filter from his own account (67m followers). It was also shared on the Inter Miami Facebook page and used by the players.
So far we have seen strong impressions and sharing metrics for the filter, and it’s seeing consistent, ongoing daily usage. This is very positive for a filter that was designed as a fan-led tool for the duration of the season and beyond. Inter Miami passed the 1M follower mark on Instagram shortly after launch and the team is inspired to continue exploring platform opportunities to build out the La Familia community online, using the momentum from the filter to drive connections.
We were really excited to develop this work with the team and deliver something with global reach, across both the Facebook and Instagram platforms, shipping a load of love to both David and his football team.
