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McDonald’s Fun Football

A proud sponsor of grassroots football since 2002, McDonald’s, in partnership with the 4 UK Football Associations, is committed to providing free football opportunities to kids across the nation.

In 2018, we set out to deliver 5 million hours of Fun Football to kids aged 5 -11, by 2022. We were on track to do so until 2020 and we had to change tact to persevere.

By working closely with our partners, we were delivered Fun Football under difficult circumstances following-through on our promise a year early. We tapped into the ‘Football Fever’ of a nation with a mixed-media campaign raising awareness, combined with a doubling down on the number of free coaching sessions we provided to match interest and increase boots on the ground. Literally.

The sponsorship has been a huge success, bending and flexing as required, by focusing on bringing some much-needed fun to kids and the emotional benefits sport brings about.

We flipped the script and put the kids needs first and the sport’s second.

By Making football a little less serious for everyone, we:

  • Delivered 5 million hours a year early, despite halting activity due to lockdown
  • Increased awareness of McDonald’s association with football reached the same heights as a World Cup year – nearly 3 in 4 parents
  • Increased awareness of Fun Football by 21% points to 1 in 2 parents
  • Increased positive brand perception scores by 25% points when parents and non-parents are aware of Fun Football
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