For the last month, football has been in the hearts and minds of the world. Vancouver was a host city and Zulu Alpha Kilo (Z.A.K.) and Destination BC seized the opportunity to make football attention take a detour to discover what British Columbia has to offer.

The detour was the thrill of playing football in locations never before possible, from coastal shorelines to alpine settings, through The Super, Natural British Columbia Home Pitch: A Football Experience, from June 11 through July 19 at FIFA Fan Festival Vancouver.

Home Pitch, bult by production company, Wildfire Experiential + Events, and Unit 9 Productions, surrounds an ordinary soccer pitch with a custom 12,000-square-foot multi-sensory experience, combining 360º LED screen visuals with spatial soundscapes. The changing, unique playing pitch draws imagery from routes and places within the province, to become a living experience of British Columbia for fans to play within.

After a Host First Nations welcome video from Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, fans get to dive into sound, light, and atmosphere that place them in six different beautiful landscapes spanning mountain peaks, coastal horizons, and ancient forests. The experience surrounds a fully playable indoor pitch for fans to play with their friends, participate in skills clinics, and watch Indigenous performances.

“British Columbia is home to some of the most diverse natural landscapes on earth. Yet when travelers picture the province, their vision narrows to a few select places,” stated Maya Lange, vice president of global marketing, Destination BC. “The arrival of FIFA World Cup 26™ in Vancouver as a host city, gave us a unique opportunity to raise awareness for the rest of British Columbia’s incredible landscapes and culture, and marry the beautiful game with the beauty of our nature.”

Brand ambassadors provide guidance and information, and an on-site clubhouse highlights environments throughout British Columbia. The activation has already welcomed nearly 40,000 visitors as of July 5, with more than 10,000 visitors on opening weekend alone, inspiring exploration beyond Vancouver both during and after their visit.

“We’re incredibly excited by this activation, and the deep thoughtfulness that went into creating it,” stated Tim Gordon, chief creative officer, Zulu Alpha Kilo. “Home Pitch is the result of bi-coastal collaboration between all three of Z.A.K.’s offices in Vancouver, Toronto, and New York to create a truly one-of-a-kind immersive experience that not only feels authentic to an incredibly diverse province, but harnesses the energy of the World Cup and delivers a truly thrilling and creative experience for visiting fans.”

Credits:

Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Chief Creative Officer & Partner Tim Gordon
Chief Design Officer: Stephanie Yung
ACD & Writer: Dylan Thomas
ACD & Art Director: Carlos Veras
Design Directors: Jeff Watkins & Trong Nguyen
Executive Producer: Teresa Bayley
Chief Strategy Officer: Heather Segal
Group Strategy Director: Sarah Yim
Strategist: Vic Vecchio
Account Team: David Tremblay
Account Director:  Lauren Hutton, Cindy Nguyen
Account Supervisor: Jaydene Buchan

Client: Destination British Columbia
VP, Global Marketing: Maya Lange
 Director, Global Creative: David Belanger
Project Manager: Margaret McCormick
Senior Specialist, Creative: Jackie Steel

XM Management: Wildfire Experiential Events + Unit 9 Productions
Founders: Bianca Knop & Kelly Thorpe
Director of Production: Mindy Lubert
Creative Director: James Medcraft
360 Capture: Sebastian Hagemeister @ Meta Camera
Videographer: Danny Astefan

Post-Production House: Zulubot
Editor: Angela Young
Studio Artist: Sean Lacdan