The winning concept was based on a key insight into South African football fans: they desperately want to be heard by the coach, in fact, they want to be the coach of their team. So much so that the hand-rolling movement from fans in stands impatiently demanding a substitution for an out-of-favour player has become an iconic South African gesture.

Responding to this, Carling Black Label and Ogilvy Cape Town gave the supporters of the country’s two biggest clubs, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, the right to select their starting XI’s for the new Carling Black Label Cup final and to make line-up changes during the game.

Every Carling Black Label bottle top during the promotion period gave the buyer one vote in team selection and an SMS during the game to affect substitutions.

A complex infrastructure of platforms were developed to deliver this world first including a USSD interface and special mobisite and microsite applications to cope with unprecedented volumes of cellphone voting. Linked to Facebook and Twitter and executed alongside a substantial above-the-line roll out, the campaign was endorsed by Dutch footballing legend and global brand ambassador, Ruud Gullit.

The idea enraged purists and coaches - generating massive PR mileage - and completely engaged the fans who purchased beers and took part in swarms. 10.5-million votes were cast for team selection in seven weeks and the metrics on all the social media and online platforms also showed triple digit growth.

As for the match itself, 85 000 fans attended the sell-out game and millions more watched on television and saw Orlando Pirates win it on penalties.

During the promotion period Carling Black Label had significant market share growth in a high volume space. This short-term gain also delivered in terms of long-term benefits for the brand.

Andrea Quaye, Carling Black Label’s general manager, comments on the success of the campaign: “This unique sporting property has turned the tables of sponsorship on its head and continued to change South African beer drinkers’ perceptions of the brand. Carling Black Label’s proposition was brought to life in trade and captured the imagination of soccer loving supporters with the biggest and boldest through-the-line campaign in the history of the brand.”

Comments Gavin Levinsohn, managing director of Ogilvy Cape Town: “Underpinned by a loved brand and the beautiful game, it was great to use mobile technology along with traditional advertising to enable mass consumer participation.”

Carling Black Label fans can look forward to the next Carling Black Label Cup campaign, which kicks off in May.