Uncommon & EA SPORTS Lead With Design & Innovation To Create Immersive EA SPORTS FC Brand Experience

To celebrate a new era for The World’s Game, Electronic Arts Inc. unveiled its first product under the new EA SPORTS FC™ brand, EA SPORTS FC 24, at a one of a kind marquee global event in Amsterdam created in partnership with Uncommon Creative Studio, produced in collaboration with INCA. EA SPORTS FC 24 is set to launch worldwide on September 29th, 2023, with more details on the new game available here.

The event reflected EA SPORTS’ own tailored version of a Clubhouse, using technology and design to create a unique and engaging brand experience for the reveal. During the event, the EA SPORTS FC 24 cover star was revealed as Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, who put in a surprise appearance alongside fellow superstars from across the World’s Game including Didier Drogba, Luis Figo, Laura Georges and more.

One of the FC Clubhouse’s main attractions included a face-to-face digital experience with EA SPORTS FC 24 cover star Erling Haaland, where the guests were introduced to Haaland’s skills and personality.

Guests got to meet a digital version of the world’s greatest target — and as they did, he copied their every move as well as reacting to them in a way only Erling would — breaking the fourth wall and bringing digital Haaland to life. The experience brought out the irreverent humour everyone has come to know and love from the star, as Haaland himself interacted with his digital likeness.

MORE ABOUT THE EVENT UX & DESIGN

Similar to the game, the FC Clubhouse space blurred the lines between the physical and digital — as pitches meet pixels — in a variety of playful, remarkable and memorable ways.

Guests arrived at the venue and were welcomed with a 5ft physical installation of EA SPORTS FC’s new logo which was positioned above guests’ heads like the player control indicator — just as if they were in the game. This logo player indicator was also available as an Instagram filter for anyone in the world to access.

Guests then moved through a tunnelled walkway featuring distorted chanting and pre-match atmospheric sounds, which reflected the walk typically taken by professional players from the dressing room to the pitch. This inspired the curved grass turfed stage, augmented by a diffused scent of freshly-cut grass into the venue, and event lighting that was inspired by stadium floodlighting. On stage, a live-streamed keynote was held which featured — Andrew Wilson, CEO — Electronic Arts, DJ Jackson, vice president — Brand EA SPORTS FC, Cam Webber, president — EA and Nick Wlodyka senior vice president/GM EA SPORTS — to introduce the world to EA SPORTS FC 24 — with the livestream accounting for +2M views over 24 hours.

MORE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE ZONE

From the ‘pitch’ — the guests were next welcomed into the FC experience zone where EA SPORTS FC 24 was shown in full force at dedicated game stations.

The experience zone consisted of gaming pods for individuals as well as a focal gaming area on a triangulated stage where VIP guests could experience EA SPORTS FC 24 for the first time and play against each other in front of the crowd of fans watching, including VIP key match ups.

This led to a trophy installation showcasing 13 trophies from the biggest leagues around the world — including the Champions League, Premier League and Serie A to name a few.

MORE ABOUT FC CLUBHOUSE

Given the important influence taken from the triangle in the new logo design of EA SPORTS FC, Amsterdam presented itself as the perfect location to celebrate its new brand identity, — the city is touted as the origin of Total Football — a tactic using triangle formations, first thought up in the 1970’s by the Dutch club Ajax.

Inside a former dry dock venue in Amsterdam — EA SPORTS FC invited guests to an all-immersive space, ensuring everyone felt like they were stepping onto the pitch and into the future of football. Traditional elements of a clubhouse — from stadium stand seating to pitch screens — were pulled apart and reimagined, and rebuilt in the image of EA SPORTS FC.

The space took the form, materials, and infrastructure of a football stadium and deconstructed them throughout the space, resulting in dynamic and impactful installation, and also referenced the EA SPORTS FC triangular form through the smallest of details including truss angles and light directions.

The venue also included a bar serving player-designed box water and a newly-branded can showcasing a partnership between EA SPORTS FC and PepsiCo.

The Blessed Madonna performed a live set and guests who attended the event were given merch which included a bespoke scarf crafted with Dutch streetwear brand Lack of Guidance and an Earl of East scented candle called ‘Hallowed Turf’ depicting notes of a football pitch. Attendees were guided by a specially-designed zine highlighting the best bits of Amsterdam.

MORE ABOUT EA SPORTS FC NEW IDENTITY

The reveal of the new game follows the debut of EA SPORTS new brand identity for EA SPORTS FC — designed in partnership with Uncommon earlier this year — which took inspiration directly from the beautiful game — and a dominant shape in football culture that represents the sport in multiple dimensions, the triangle. From Cruyff to Guardiola. From passing patterns to set plays. The triangle has revolutionised the game as we know it.

The shape has also been woven into the DNA of EA SPORTS football experiences for decades; from the isometric angles of the very first 8-bit experiences and the triangular polygons that make up every pixel of the most modern games, as well the iconic player control indicator that appears above every athlete in every match. The new identity was embraced across matches, clubs, fans and players during its launch, with British Rapper Dave featuring and narrating a short film capturing the energy of EA SPORTS FC on the pitch and in culture.