EA Sports FC: can a product outweigh a brand?

With the launch of EA Sports FC 24 this week, the game formally known as FIFA breaks away from the football governing body that had helped build its name, but it remains to be seen if the rebrand will be any barrier to success, or if the game publisher has put sufficient media and creative support behind it.

Why FIFA/EA Sports FC matters

When news of the conscious decoupling broke back in 2022, WARC noted how difficult it is to explain to non-players of the game just how important it is to the gaming world. It is the sixth best-selling video game franchise of all time globally (only titanic entities like Mario, Pokémon, and Call of Duty have outsold it). Across Europe, it was the top selling game last year. 

But that was under the FIFA name, licensed for a hefty annual fee until this year: the two sides reportedly failed to reach an agreement on a fee demanded by FIFA in the region of $300m a year. EA Sports decided to go it alone, armed with the game, a significant roster of major leagues and major teams, and a large marketing budget. 

This week, the publisher puts its bet on being the original and best to the test. FIFA, meanwhile, bets on its name, the World Cup, and diversification in the gaming industry. 

What’s going on 

The release this week of EA Sports FC 24 marks a turning point. “I don't think there's anything that compares to this rebrand in particular,” says Landor & Fitch executive creative director Graham Sykes, who underscores the risks of undoing the watermark of authenticity. 

Of course, any player of FIFA/EA Sports FC will recognise the audio tagline, “EA Sports: it’s in the game,” that has played to audiences every single time they start up the title. That’s a lot of exposure, considering that the franchise had its debut in 1993. 

Much of the critical reaction has centred around how little change has taken place in the game itself, lamenting the opportunity to turn a new page. On the surface, however, the things that matter remain the same: its licensing portfolio of more than 19,000+ players, 700+ teams, 100+ stadiums and 30 leagues. They include Europe’s largest and most popular top flights: the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, Italy’s Serie A, as well as the North American MLS. 

The marketing effort and new visual identity comes from Uncommon Creative Studio, which took on the mantle of relaunching a game with a rich history of campaigns unafraid to engage with the wider culture associated with it. 

Based on triangles, the visual identity centres not only on the icon that the game has used for decades, to show which player is being controlled, but connects to a deeper footballing idea: the triangles in total football and the more modern tiki-taka or gegenpressing. Ahead of Friday, expect to see much more of this. 

Sourced from WARC, BBC, IGN, Uncommon, Statista 

[Image: EA Sports]