EA SPORTS nets for the Diversity in Advertising Award
Channel 4’s £1m Diversity in Advertising Award-winner, EA SPORTS, has launched its new FIFA 21 campaign, highlighting the lack of British Asian representation in professional football.
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Credits
View on- Agency adam&eveDDB/London
- Production Company Pulse Films/London
- Director Bassam Tariq
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Credits
View on- Agency adam&eveDDB/London
- Production Company Pulse Films/London
- Director Bassam Tariq
- Executive Producer Lucy Kelly
- Costume Designer Selina Wong
- Music Supervisor Sunny Kapoor
- Managing Director James Sorton
- Editor Fouad Gaber
- Post Production Time Based Arts
- Executive Producer Chris Aliano
- Audio Post Lucy Spong
- Audio Mixer Jack Hallett
- Producer Neil Andrews
- DP Ben Fordesman
- Production Designer Drogo Michie
- VFX Supervisor Matt Jackson / UK
- Colorist Simone Grattarola
- Chief Creative Officer Richard Brim
- Creative Director/Art Director Genevieve Gransden
- Creative Director/Copywriter Selma Ahmed
- Producer Paul Marr
- Producer Hannah Needham
Explore full credits, grab hi-res stills and more on shots Vault
Credits
powered by- Agency adam&eveDDB/London
- Production Company Pulse Films/London
- Director Bassam Tariq
- Executive Producer Lucy Kelly
- Costume Designer Selina Wong
- Music Supervisor Sunny Kapoor
- Managing Director James Sorton
- Editor Fouad Gaber
- Post Production Time Based Arts
- Executive Producer Chris Aliano
- Audio Post Lucy Spong
- Audio Mixer Jack Hallett
- Producer Neil Andrews
- DP Ben Fordesman
- Production Designer Drogo Michie
- VFX Supervisor Matt Jackson / UK
- Colorist Simone Grattarola
- Chief Creative Officer Richard Brim
- Creative Director/Art Director Genevieve Gransden
- Creative Director/Copywriter Selma Ahmed
- Producer Paul Marr
- Producer Hannah Needham
This new TV spot, created in partnership with adam&eveDDB, features Premier League star and newly signed EA SPORTS FIFA Ambassador, Hamza Choudhury, championing the game-changing impact of role models on future generations.
Channel 4’s annual £1m Diversity in Advertising Award focuses on a different area of diversity to encourage the ad industry to embrace inclusive creative campaigns and further Channel 4’s commitment to reflecting the cultural diversity of Britain beyond its editorial content and into the ad breaks. Research shows that only 0.25% of the UK’s 4,000 professional footballers are British Asians and EA SPORTS' new campaign for FIFA 21 explores the Midnight Ramadan League; a grassroots football team set-up to help those who struggle to play during their Ramadan fast, with matches kicking-off after Iftar and before Suhoor.
I’m proud of my Asian heritage and without it, I wouldn’t be the person or footballer that I am today.
The spot is directed by Bassam Tariq through Pulse Films and tells the story of Qaiser, a British Asian teenager and role model to his younger sister, Aaminah. After breaking his fast, the film follows Qaiser as he leaves the family home late at night before arriving at the Midnight Ramadan League pitch. Following a robust tackle that knocks Qaiser to the floor, we see Leicester City midfielder, and Qaiser's role model, Hamza Choudhury, lift him up before taking the ball and scoring a goal.
“Growing up, football was always my first love," said Choudhury. "I’m proud of my Asian heritage and without it, I wouldn’t be the person or footballer that I am today, so it was an honour to partner with EA SPORTS to tell the inspirational story of the Midnight Ramadan League – a team I would have loved to play for! I hope that, together, we can help inspire future generations to follow their dreams.”
Above: Images from the accompanying comic, Hamza: My Story.
The campaign was created in response to Channel 4’s invitation to the ad industry last year to pitch campaigns focussed on the authentic representation of UK Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Groups cultures within TV advertising. This was found to be universally lacking in new research commissioned by 4Sales in respect of all Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Groups communities, their backgrounds, lives and cultures.
I’m honoured to have worked on such a pivotal commercial not only for the Birmingham folks but also for myself.
“Though the film has countless men running around the screen, it’s important to note that this spot was built from the ground up by Black and Brown women leading the charge - both from EA SPORTS and adam&eveDDB," said Tariq. "It was an honour to work with them and have these strong women as my guiding light. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever direct such an unapologetically Muslim commercial with my fellow sisters and brothers in faith. It wasn’t enough that we worked closely with the Midnight Ramadan League co-founder, Obayed Hussain, but we prayed, broke bread and drank buttloads of chai together. I’m honoured to have worked on such a pivotal commercial not only for the Birmingham folks but also for myself as I continue to broaden my own experience of what it means to be Muslim and Asian.”
The winning TV activity is part of EA SPORTS' wider ‘Inspire The Next Generation’ campaign, which aims to start fixing the cycle that has been holding back British Asian football talent for generations. To further support the campaign, EA SPORTS has unveiled a number of initiatives including a comic book written by Choudhury, titled Hamza: My Story.
