QUIT SMOKING WITH BARÇA
Saatchi & Saatchi Brussels latest campaign for the European Commission is a cooperation with FC Barcelona with the aim to get people to quit smoking.
If you can last throughout a football game without a cigarette – why not quit for good? “Quit Smoking With Barça” was introduced at FC Barcelona’s stadium, Camp Nou, at the start of December and aims to help people quit smoking with the help of the players and staff of FC Barcelona. The campaign kicked off with 11 Barça fans from all over Europe who became the first to sign up for the programme.
The campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi Brussels is a joint initiative between the European Commission and FC Barcelona which uses a “unique, science-based approach to help those who love life, Barça and football to quit smoking for good”.
The campaign is powered by the “FCB iCoach”, an online health coach and free mobile app that provide tailored guidance and support straight from the mouths of Barça players, coaches and staff.
When a smoker registers, he or she completes a short questionnaire that determines the type of coaching needed to quit. Based on the answers, the individual receives personalised tips, information and motivation directly from Barça players, coaches and staff. The club's four captains: Carles Puyol, Andres Iniesta, Victor Valdes and Xavi are among those offering advice as are President Sandro Rosell, coach Tito Villanova, Guilermo Amor, and other club experts.
The FC Barcelona stadium and facilities has already been made smoke-free. The initiative is part of the wider “Ex-Smokers are Unstoppable” campaign (which has already seen 300,000 people sign up) driven by the Saatchi & Saatchi Brussels (comprising Tonic Life Communications, Zenith Optimedia, ESN, BrandNewDay and GFK).
"FC Barcelona is able to get the best out of their players," says Jan Teulingkx, Executive Creative Director Saatchi & Saatchi Brussels.
"Why wouldn't they be able to do the same for their fans? So we turned the fan-club relationship upside down. When you enter FCB iCoach, you become the athlete and the club is there to support you, to reach your best shape. In other words, ‘The whole club supports you'."
Video: The launch of "Quit Smoking with Barça at the Camp Nou.
To mark the launch of the campaign, a team of 11 Barça fans from different EU countries have been chosen to become the first people from their nation to sign-up to the FCB iCoach. They were guests of honour at FC Barcelona’s home game against Bilbao, where they carried a campaign flag onto the pitch while the launch video was played in the stadium to encourage smokers within the Nou Camp to join the campaign.
Video: European Commission "Quit Smoking with Barca" by the Saatchi & Saatchi Brussells consortium.
Images: FCB iCoach app screenshots
