Player 23

Read the campaign story

Vodacom's Player 23 campaign made the supporter a symbolic member of a rugby squad. Contemporary June 2009 reporting describes the character Jan and explains that the campaign originated to support Vodacom's rugby sponsorship that year. Draftfcb South Africa was credited. The fictional additional player gave a name and personality to the people whose contribution normally happens from the stands, at home or around a television rather than on the field.

The platform developed through recurring characters and later executions. Vodacom's own 2010 release describes Jan and Elton appearing with rugby figures in a football-supporting extension. That later film is evidence of continuity, not a separate campaign counted again here. The original mechanism remained the same: a sponsor recognized the audience's role and gave it a memorable identity that could travel across stories.

The strategic move was to shift sponsorship attention from the athlete alone to the supporter. A telecommunications brand has many customers who watch sport but few who play professionally. By making fandom the subject, the campaign created a broader point of identification. The character also supplied continuity across a season, allowing the advertiser to change situations while retaining a recognizable central idea.

A small sponsor could apply this principle by documenting the actual contributions of adult volunteers, organizers or supporters around a local event. The recognition should be specific and consensual rather than a generic declaration that everyone is a hero. It should not imply official team membership, endorsement or rights that the sponsor does not hold. If a fictional character is used, the distinction between dramatization and real participant testimony should remain clear.

The opened sources establish the 2009 origin, characters and subsequent extension, not a causal improvement in brand preference or team performance. Enthusiastic anecdotal reactions are not a substitute for evaluation. A responsible adaptation would ask whether people understand the sponsor's role and whether the recognized community considers the portrayal fair. The strongest fan-centered campaign does more than borrow the crowd's emotion: it gives supporters a credible reason to feel noticed without making claims on their loyalty or identity.

Recognize the surrounding community

A sport’s meaning extends beyond professional players.

Build continuity around a clear role

Recurring characters can connect different seasonal stories.

Respect sponsorship boundaries

Recognition does not create official rights or endorsement.

A small test for another brief

Recognize consenting adult volunteers around a local event.

Measure participant satisfaction and understanding of the sponsor’s role.

Stop if the material implies ungranted endorsement or pressures participation.

• Identify three concrete contributions with the organizer.
• Verify names, permissions and sponsor rights.
• Create short profiles that explain the work without exaggerated status.