Western Union: PASS

Credits & Description:

Advertiser: WESTERN UNION
Agency: HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES, 180 AMSTERDAM
Category: Best Use of Sponsorship
Advertising campaign: PASS
Account Manager: Ali Ronca (180 Amsterdam)
Account Director: Ceclie Desmarest (180 Amsterdam)
Content Editor: Adrian Murray (180 Amsterdam)
Copywriter: Bryan Stewart (180 Amsterdam)
Art Director: Ed Ryder (180 Amsterdam)
Account Manager: Jim O'Regan (180 Amsterdam)
Business Affairs: Nora Adams (180 Amsterdam)
Executive Producer: Susan Cook (180 Amsterdam)
Executive Creative Director: Al Moseley (180 Amsterdam)
Account Director: Anthony Scammell (Hill+Knowlton)
Content/Event Producer: Bethany Papenbrock (180 Amsterdam)
Digital Producer: Colin Pueschner (180 Amsterdam)
Creative Director: Dean Maryon (180 Amsterdam)
Media Relations: Glen Holland (Hill+Knowlton)
Digital Strategist: Jeremy Lloyd (180 Amsterdam)
Managing Director: Stephen Corlett (180 Amsterdam)
Art Director: Tim Howman (180 Amsterdam)
Planning Director: Jessica Perri (180 Amsterdam)

Client Brief Or Objective
The key goals were to demonstrate the brand's purpose: Moving Money For Better and gain credibility in the world of football. UEFA's Hall & Partners and Sport + Market's 2012 research showed fans were cynical about sponsors. WU saw the opportunity to transcend this with a cause-marketing strategy. UNESCO says that 171 million children are without proper education and players of the UEL often hail from communities that need education the most. So Western Union created PASS where, in partnership with UNICEF, every pass in the UEL funds a day of education for the children who can't afford to go.

Campaign Description
Western Union have created PASS which, in partnership with UEFA and UNICEF, converted every pass in the UEL into funds to support a day of education for children who needed it most. The programme committed to creating 1 million days over 3 years.Western Union's partnership with the UEFA Europa League was an opportunity to talk to a new audience - football fans - and bring the brand's purpose - 'Moving Money For better' - to life. However, the brand had no credibility within football and so needed a way to win the media and football fan's hearts and minds and show them what the brand stood for. This is how PASS was born. Launched with a targeted PR campaign, social media, content films and a microsite housing unique content, PASS redefined sports sponsorship. Each match day PASS gave the football media and fans around the world a unique' story' from the passing data, player match ups and team stats. PASS then partnered with key football media platforms Goal.com and FourFourTwo, generating editorial and digital support and advocacy.The PR focus then aligned in making PASS the keynote at global industry conferences, and Ambassadors, Falcao and Vieria were used for influencer and media events, and fan activations to build media and customer relationships. The campaign reached an audience of 900 million people in 170 countries while credibility reached such levels that Sky Sports called it ' the hottest property in football' and UEL players provided interviews to support the campaign unpaid.

Relevancy
Western Union is a brand that suffers from attrition as non-loyal customers seek out the best deal in money transfer. The brand partnered with the UEFA Europa League (UEL) as a way to utilize the global passion point of football, elevate the brand creating new relevance and affinity within customers. However, with no credibility in the football world, there needed to be a way to prove the partnership credible, win hearts and minds of cynical football fans and demonstrate the power of WU's core purpose - Moving Money For Better.

Effectiveness
Western Union CRM program, 501% ROI, 300% CTR increase.100 new leads for Business Solutions division using assets.Social media had 98% positive sentiment.Over 100K unique microsite visits.Site dwell time 600% + than average per Nielson data.Brand recall at 53% in 3mos.63% of fans recalled WU as "money transfer" & name at least 2 products.1M video views of proprietary content.A global audience of 900 million in 170 countries.Keynote at 'Beyond Sport' and 'Leaders in Football Conferences'.Sky Sports called PASS 'the hottest property in football'.InterMilan, Chelsea, Tottenham, Benfica and Liverpool FC publicly supported PASS.

Execution
PASS launched in September through a PR digital media campaign amongst global football media, bloggers and social media networks led by a content film featuring football icon and PASS Ambassador Patrick Vieira.From September onwards, a story with a unique angle was created each match week that focused on insights into the passing data, the tournament's players and match ups.In October and November, OPTA, FourFourTwo and Goal.com became partners to increase credibility Falcao, signed up as a global PASS ambassador.From October, PASS was showcased at football and sponsorship conferences - including 'Beyond Sport' and 'Leaders in Football'.From January onwards, the PR focus moved to UEFA's PR and Media team leading to players from the UEL giving unpaid impromptu interviews to show support for PASS.

Strategy
Western Union needed to enter the world of football in a credible way, the strategy was not to take, but to give something back while creating a powerful relationship between Western Union and an audience whom previously thought nothing of the brand. The PR strategy focused on adding value with unique content around passing stats that the global football media, UEFA, media partners, fan bases and players would find valuable, engaging, worth championing and co-opting. By creating advocates of PASS, the campaign grew organically, Western Union's gained football credibility and lived up to its purpose - Moving Money For Better.