Iceland vs North Ireland, the most viral final match at #Euro2016

#Euro2016 has an official football, sponsors, very original activations at stadiums, very strict security laws and even an “official drinking cup” to use at stadiums. However, such an important championship always generates situations, actions and events that become really popular.

Official sponsors and brands in general have prepared for this event, actions, events, promotions, offers… with a main goal: become viral. The investigating agency, OMD, has created a report about the different activations taken by brands, mostly Spanish companies, emphasizing the mentions obtained in social media and the fans’ engagement. You can download the whole report from our website.

However, in this Euro’s edition we have found a paradox between the “programmed” and “spontaneous” viral campaigns; the final match between Euro2016 two viral phenomenon: Iceland and North Ireland.

The Match goes on

Iceland’s second goal wasn’t scored by the players, but by a journalist. England Gudmundur, commentator of an Iceland Television (a.k.a. “Gummi Ben”), who narrated the goal with which Iceland qualified for Last16. Together with Argentinan journalist, Víctor Hugo Morales when commentating Maradona’s goal in Mexico’86, it is the craziest goals to be ever by cried.

In North Ireland, the goal was scored by an Irish fan, who started singing about Will Grigg, a striker who plays for Wigan Athletic on English Football League Championship, and is not really known by most of the audience. Grigg didn’t even play a single minute in Euro2016.

Nevertheless, the video “Will Grigg’s on Fire” has become the unofficial anthem of North Ireland and half of Europe’s fans.

These are three examples of spontaneous viral actions (just watch all the mentions, views, versions, etc. on YouTube) that has become a big paradox for brands and companies, do they carry on with their programmed strategy or should they detect and join them?