It’s a time of unfriendliness. People under financial stress are feeling antipathy towards others. In the UK, immigrants are a major target. That immigration is a polarising issue in the UK became even more apparent during the recent General Election.
Wonderhood Studios and the Migration Museum are working to challenge anti-immigration sentiment using the Euro 2024 football tournament as a tool.
With England as the bookie’s odds-on favourite to win at the start of the tournament, the OOH and social campaign highlights the stellar contribution made to the England squad by players from migrant backgrounds.
15 of the 26-man squad could have played for other countries, either because they were born outside the UK or because they have parents or grandparents of other nationalities. This includes young talent such as Kobbie Mainoo, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, and more senior players including Kyle Walker, Declan Rice and Harry Kane.
“The strategy was to get England fans talking more positively about migration, by asking them to consider what might have happened to the England team without it,” stated Jack Croft and Stacey Bird, deputy executive creative directors at Wonderhood Studios. “From the announcement of the starting line-up, to our incredible five penalty takers, you can’t deny that migration is a success story for our mostly loved (and sometimes loathed) National Sport.”
Matthew Plowright, director of communications and engagement at the Migration Museum, added, “Migration is often seen as a divisive issue, but in reality it’s a story that connects us all. As our campaign has shown, almost all of England’s men’s Euros squad have migrant heritage – whether born abroad themselves, or as the children or grandchildren of immigrants. And if you peel back the layers of any of the players’ family histories further, you will likely find migration stories. It’s time to put migration at the heart of our national story – and with tens of millions of us watching the Euros this summer, where better to start than with football.”
Credits
Client: Migration Museum
Creative Agency: Wonderhood Studios
Creatives: Jennifer Ashton & Oliver Short
Executive Creative Directors: Stacey Bird & Jack Croft
Head of Planning: Nick Exford
Account Director: Tom Butler
Account Managers: Sophie Lewis & Sri Sai
Head of Art: Simon Elvins
Designer: Tommy Spitters
Media: The7stars
