Emirates goes online to push Arsenal stadium sponsorship

Emirates is promoting its sponsorship of the new Arsenal Football Club stadium with an online campaign and stadium advertising that aims to engage “directly with fans”.

The airline has shunned above-the-line advertising in favour of a new website, www.arsenals12thman, which will use fans’ pictures and views. The site, created by Leagas Delaney, will also offer Arsenal fans the chance to star in stadium posters as its “12th team member”.

It will be unveiled ahead of the team’s first Premiership game of the season, against Aston Villa on August 19, and will be supported through stadium communications and match-day programmes. The match will mark the team’s first competitive game in the new stadium.

An agency spokesman says that Emirates was keen to show its support for the Arsenal FC team, as its stadium and shirt sponsor, in a more “human” way, by engaging with fans instead of opting for corporate communications or traditional blanket advertising.

Emirates signed a &£100m deal with Arsenal FC to sponsor the Ashburton Grove stadium for 15 years, and the club’s shirts for eight years, replacing previous shirt sponsor O2 (MW October 7, 2004).

Chelsea Football Club dropped Emirates as shirt sponsor last year, as first revealed in Marketing Week (July 8, 2004).