A publicity campaign for the Spanish class: Football!

I have just read an article in the Spanish newspaper, El Pais, about a publicity company and the campaigns they have been creating for the football team Atlético de Madrid. In the article we find some interesting points about the rationale behind the commercials that the creators mention:

• Publicity has to be part of entertaining
• The football team does not pay to show the commercials on TV or in the Internet, they are shown through social networking websites and they become very popular.
• The campaign speaks about a way of understanding life and about feelings. Supporting this team means something else, to be part of a group who share the same sentiments. But these sentiments are often not happy ones as the commercials often depict supporters suffering at their team's defeats.
• The creators would only advertise for the team they love.

1. Papá, ¿por qué somos del Atleti?, 2005. Supporting a team means to transmit this passion to our children. Even if they don´t understand the reasons at first. When the team was not doing so well, its fans were still with it.

2. Me mata, me da la vida, 2006. We can change jobs, careers, give up smoking and, even giving a pass to a glass of wine. Yet, we can never abandon our football team. This is lasting love.

3. Commercial in Europe. After many years struggling in the Spanish league, even in the second division, Atlético de Madrid gets a position that allows them to play European championships. At that time, 2008-9, a unit of Spanish blue helmets was posted in Kosovo. Naturally, you not only transmit your passion for your football team to your children and everyone you meet, even new friends who know about fate and bad luck much more than any football team (below).

4. Spot Inmigrante, 2008. The commercials have proven very popular because the writers use material that viewers can relate to and reflect the social situations of the times. When immigrants came to Spain, they were encouraged to become fans of this football team, a team that welcomes everyone and to share the same great passion and pride that makes the team. It is very interesting how the life of these immigrants is portrayed.  

5. Commercial Crisis, 2012. And the crisis again. But supporting this team will give you strength to cope with everything. You not only support the team, you share its principles and spirit.

This campaign series is a good tool that documents the changes in Spain over the last few years as one new commercial is filmed each year. They are also good at showing what being part of a football team means in some cultures. Its meaning goes further than sport. These commercials are also linguistically very interesting to work in a class, especially commercial numbers 2 and 4. And there is always the possibility of trying to find more, this is just a selection of commercials.