E.ON Next x FA
Save it like three lions
PROBLEM
E.ON Next needed to turn energy saving from a rational obligation into a culturally relevant behaviour people actually wanted to take part in.
Despite strong brand credentials and a clear sustainability mission, energy saving remains abstract, guilt-laden and low-engagement for many consumers. In a crowded social landscape, traditional sustainability messaging struggles to cut through, particularly with younger, culturally fluent audiences who expect brands to show up in moments that matter to them.
At the same time, football was approaching a pivotal cultural peak in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup. Fandom was set to dominate national conversation, rituals and identity. This created a rare opportunity, but also a risk. If E.ON Next failed to earn relevance within football culture, the brand would be sidelined as a sponsor rather than embraced as part of the story.
The challenge was to evolve a successful women’s football platform into a men’s-led, social-first campaign that could:
In short, the problem was not awareness.
It was relevance, motivation and action.
SOLUTION:
At the heart of the campaign were two repeatable, football-coded social formats designed to turn energy saving into something fans could play along with.
Emoji Shootout used a familiar penalty shootout mechanic, challenging England players to decode emoji strings representing everyday energy-saving habits. Fast, competitive and instantly legible on social, it introduced new behaviours through humour and curiosity, proving that small “saves” at home can be as satisfying as stopping a penalty.
Bench. Pass. Play. shifted the focus from awareness to intent, asking players to debate which energy habits they would commit to, reject, or keep on the bench. By framing behaviour change as a team decision rather than a personal sacrifice, the format reduced guilt and made participation feel achievable.
Together, the two games moved audiences from discovery to commitment, using football language, social proof and cultural relevance to normalise energy saving while positioning E.ON Next as the playmaker behind the change
RESULTS
x
ROLE
Art Director
CLIENT
E.ON Next
E.ON Next needed to turn energy saving from a rational obligation into a culturally relevant behaviour people actually wanted to take part in.
Despite strong brand credentials and a clear sustainability mission, energy saving remains abstract, guilt-laden and low-engagement for many consumers. In a crowded social landscape, traditional sustainability messaging struggles to cut through, particularly with younger, culturally fluent audiences who expect brands to show up in moments that matter to them.
At the same time, football was approaching a pivotal cultural peak in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup. Fandom was set to dominate national conversation, rituals and identity. This created a rare opportunity, but also a risk. If E.ON Next failed to earn relevance within football culture, the brand would be sidelined as a sponsor rather than embraced as part of the story.
The challenge was to evolve a successful women’s football platform into a men’s-led, social-first campaign that could:
- Make energy saving feel empowering, simple and human rather than preachy or technical
- Translate everyday household behaviours into football-coded rituals fans instinctively understand
- Drive measurable social engagement and reach at scale, not just awareness
- Ladder clearly into E.ON Next’s brand promise of making energy savings work, while reinforcing its role in powering England’s energy future
In short, the problem was not awareness.
It was relevance, motivation and action.
SOLUTION:
At the heart of the campaign were two repeatable, football-coded social formats designed to turn energy saving into something fans could play along with.
Emoji Shootout used a familiar penalty shootout mechanic, challenging England players to decode emoji strings representing everyday energy-saving habits. Fast, competitive and instantly legible on social, it introduced new behaviours through humour and curiosity, proving that small “saves” at home can be as satisfying as stopping a penalty.
Bench. Pass. Play. shifted the focus from awareness to intent, asking players to debate which energy habits they would commit to, reject, or keep on the bench. By framing behaviour change as a team decision rather than a personal sacrifice, the format reduced guilt and made participation feel achievable.
Together, the two games moved audiences from discovery to commitment, using football language, social proof and cultural relevance to normalise energy saving while positioning E.ON Next as the playmaker behind the change
RESULTS
x
ROLE
Art Director
CLIENT
E.ON Next
EMOJI SHOOTOUT
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BENCH PASS PLAY
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