ABOUT

ABOUT
“Bin dippers.” “Feed the Scousers.” “Eating rats in their council house.” Poverty has long been used as a punchline in football. But with Trussell, we used that same tribal language to drive real-world change.

Partnering with cult football creator Bryan’s Gunn, we created a remix-style hero film using the word “hunger” as fans hear it every weekend, before flipping it to reveal the reality of food poverty.

Launched on X around the Merseyside derby, the campaign sparked a conversation in the language football fans actually speak. The result? Over 500,000 views, 13 clubs signing the Football vs Hunger Charter, and millions reached across social and editorial.

BRIEF
Food banks in the Trussell community distributed 3.1 million emergency food parcels last year, nearly double the number from five years ago.

While four in five football fans agree food banks shouldn’t need to exist, chants and banter around poverty continue to reinforce stigma. Our brief was to use the collectivism and cultural influence of football to help shift attitudes around food poverty.

CREATIVE
Football culture has long used poverty as ammunition in rivalries. But it has also shown its power to drive solidarity and social change.

We set out to engage football fans on their own terms, through trusted voices, familiar humour and the platforms they use every day. By using the word “hunger” in a football context before revealing its real-world meaning, we landed a serious issue in a way that felt culturally authentic.

We partnered with Bryan’s Gunn, known for remix-style football commentary content with a cult fan following. For creator Will, the campaign was personal, with his wife’s family having previously relied on Trussell food banks after arriving in the UK from Bosnia.

The hero film featured voices including Jürgen Klopp, Mary Earps, Dion Dublin and Alex Scott, remixing football commentary before pivoting to real hunger.

X was chosen as the lead platform due to its dominance in football discourse and creator culture.

Alongside the film, we launched the Football vs Hunger Charter, signed by 13 clubs across all four UK nations including Liverpool, Everton, Motherwell and St Johnstone. The Charter encouraged clubs and fans to challenge food poverty and reject poverty-based chanting.

The campaign launched around the Merseyside derby and rolled out across the UK in partnership with Liverpool North Foodbank.

RESULTS AND EFFECTIVENESS

523,000 video views, including 414,000 organic views on X
4.8 million social reach driven by reposts from creators, journalists and football platforms including Mundial and Football Joe
427 million editorial reach
72 pieces of coverage across 57 outlets including The Athletic, The Independent and Football Clichés podcast ⚽