The Orange Wall: How Fanatical Became the 12th Man for Football Manager 26

The Challenge

In February 2025, Football Manager 25 was cancelled after a five-month delay. With the affiliate channel contributing 80% of total performance for each Football Manager edition, Fanatical faced a uniquely difficult situation: rebuilding trust and exceeding the performance of a highly successful previous title against a backdrop of audience anxiety.

The Strategy

Fanatical, one of only three stores where customers could pre-order Football Manager 2026, built a larger-scale campaign centred on community engagement, creator activations, and brand trust.

Execution and Innovation

The campaign worked with over 300 content creators, used new campaign link mechanics, and launched the first-ever Fanatical PR giftbox.

Results

Record-breaking results, well aligned with original goals and an innovative approach to creator-first performance strategies.

Judge's Verdict

"Ambitious objectives and a highly structured, innovative execution that navigated a genuinely challenging commercial situation."

"A new benchmark in creator-first performance strategies for gaming eCommerce – record-breaking results at every stage."