EA's FIFA 20 Created a High-Octane Ad in Praise of Playing Sports 'Wrong'

When athletes bring something new to a longstanding sport, they're often accused of playing or acting "wrong"—until everyone else starts doing it too. In the new ad for EA's FIFA 20 video game, London agency Adam&eveDDB turns this accusation into a badge of honor, showing athletes across soccer and other sports who've been questioned about everything from their style on the field to the tattoos on their bodies. [kickout id="1"] The spot, reminiscent of frenetic and high-energy Nike spots like "Nothing Beats a Londoner" or the recent "You're It"—features American Women's World Cup star Megan Rapinoe alongside players like Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior and Eden Hazard. We also see Manchester City's Raheem Sterling, freestyle star Lisa Zimouche (who has more than 2 million Instagram followers). There's also young winger Jadon Sancho, whose decision to sign with Germany's Borussia Dortmund rather than patiently wait for a spot on an English Premier League team like Man City, sparked comparisons like driving "the wrong way down a one-way street." As the ad references, Sancho's much-debated decision paid off, giving him an effective proving ground to demonstrate that he's one of today's top rising stars. Beyond soccer, we also get an appearance by trailblazing British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua. The campaign aims to celebrate how evolution of soccer—and sports of all kinds—is driven by those who break rules and conventions. "There has always been a 'right' way to do things in football," says Mat Goff, co-CEO of adam&eveDDB. "But the global FIFA community are constantly making and breaking their own rules to show that wrong is the new right and changing the game for the better." CREDITS: Client: Electronic Arts (EA) Brand: EA SPORTS Project/Campaign name: FIFA 20 - Break New Ground First Air Date: 27th September 2019 Clients: Group Senior Producer: Anthony Doyle Senior Producer: Andy Gillooley Senior Creative Director: Paul Marr Creative Director: Tom Gent Senior Director of Strategy: David Jackson Senior Brand Manager: Josh Farber Agency: adam&eveDDB Chief Creative Officer: Richard Brim Executive Creative Director/s: Ant Nelson & Mike Sutherland Creative Director/s: Tim Vance & Paul Knott Copywriter: Richard Gayton Art director: Darren Beresford Agency producers: Ben Sharpe, Rosie Grayson, Nia Maclean, Nikki Cramphorn Planners: Martin Beverley, David Mortimer CEO: Mat Goff Managing Partner: Mike Stern Business Director/s: James Derrick Account Director/s: George Fox Account Manager/s: Jake Gidley Legal Council: Trine Odin Designer/Typographer: Alex Fairman, Roberto Celentano Motion Graphics: George Fowler, James Ireland Media agency: Msix Production company: Pulse Films Executive Producer: Lucy Kelly Producer: Lucy Gossage Director: Yann Demange Cinematographer: Tat Radcliffe D.O.P: Tat Radcliffe Editing Company: Trim Editing Editor: Paul Hardcastle & Magdalena Plugowska Postproduction: The Mill Post Producer: Alex Fitzgerald & Dan Crozier 2D Artist Lead: Gianluca Di Marco & Venuprasath D 3D Artist Lead: David Hempstead Colorist: James Bamford Music Supervisor: Raphaella Lima (EA) Audio Postproduction: Factory Recording Engineer: Phil Bolland Sound Producer: Deborah Whitfield Soundtrack name and composer: “Offence”, performed by Little Simz. Written by Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo, Dean Wynton Josiah Cover and Cleopatra Zvezdana Nikolic. Music remix for advert by Mad Planet.