What a wonderful initiative and how nice to see it return.
FC Barcelona have always been proud of being seen as ‘More than a Club’ and bearing in mind they are owned by its more than 144 000 members and have the biggest social media following of all clubs – with over 400 million fans – it certainly is, as clearly illustrated by their “The Big Picture” campaign.
In 2020 FC Barcelona in association with Rakuten, who are the Main Global Partner and first-ever Official Innovation and Entertainment Partner of the legendary club, introduced an initiative to dedicate the external façade at the Nou Camp to celebrating their fans worldwide.
The innovative idea was to use fans photos to form a giant mosaic with the aim of keeping them virtually connected during the COVID-19 led restrictions to accessing the Nou Camp. And it proved so popular, that they decided to do it again for the 2020/21 season.
Rahul Kadavakolu, Director, Global Marketing & Sports Partnership Supervisory Department & Vice President, Global Sports Business, Rakuten Group, Inc explained:
“I believe that the most appealing aspect of The Big Picture is its ability to leverage Rakuten’s technology to bring fans together — cutting across borders to give them a sense of community and connectedness. If fans can’t get to the stadium, then we take the stadium to the fans. It delivers an experience to fans where they are.”
Fans were able to submit their image to form part of the giant mosaic and Rakuten, used their integrated Augmented Reality technology to help the fans find the section of the mosaic they are featured in.
The finished mosaic, revealed in November 2021, can be viewed here , and when you scroll in, you can see, the players images merge into the individual fans photos. The mosaic is a giant 47.7m x 9.6m – which is longer than five double decker buses.
One such fan, highlighted during this project, was Sylvanus Afful Assan-Annobil, a Ghanaian FC Barcelona fan who believes supporters of the club have a special quality that resonates with the club’s motto of being ‘More than a Club.’
“We’re more than just fans. We are one big family of fans who are so fervently loyal to the club. We all have Blaugrana-coloured blood flowing through our veins, and that’s what keeps us together.”
He continued: “The mosaic provides an inimitable way to connect fans all around the globe. Camp Nou is the soul of our club. FC Barcelona has a very large fanbase all around the globe, and there are millions of fans out there who have never had the opportunity to be there. Being part of The Big Picture signifies their real bond to the club and makes them feel present at the stadium during every match.”
Another fan, illustrating the global reach of FC Barcelona, is Indian Anushree Chakraborty, who said:
“FC Barcelona has the strongest fan-centric culture. Our fan base aren’t just football supporters. Our emotional connection with the players is different, and initiatives such as The Big Picture bring us closer than ever.”
As Rakuten explain:
The true global appeal of this initiative is in its ability to bring together Barça’s international fans by leveraging Rakuten’s technology and highlighting the passion and loyalty that binds together supporters of the five-time European Champions.
What an amazing project, especially during such troubled times, and how nice to see a Club so in tune with their fan base and so wanting to keep them connected through technology and the love of their team.
Image from: unsplash.com