Going Viral: How Burnley’s Transfer Announcements Captivated the Internet
The European football transfer market is about to conclude, and we’re sure to experience plenty of excitement with potential last-minute surprises. As teams finalize transfers and agreements, it’s not just about adding talent on the field — it’s also a strategic battle in the digital arena. This summer, we once again witnessed how clubs utilize social media to cleverly and captivatingly announce marquee signings, while generating significant impact, engagement, and influence.
When it comes to transfers, the focus is no longer solely on revealing the player’s name. Creating a shared experience that resonates within the digital community and goes beyond devices seems to be the way to win fans over. One of the teams that has mastered creativity as a secret weapon to attract attention and encourage interaction from their followers is Burnley FC.
Burnley mixes player transfers with pop culture
The Premier League team dove into pop culture to announce some of their summer signings to their followers. Using clips from TV series and movies on social media allowed Burnley to establish an immediate connection with fans through familiar references. By incorporating iconic snippets from popular shows, the team not only captures the followers’ attention but also creates an intimate atmosphere that fosters interaction and engagement. Burnley also used an interesting strategy for announcing: the team posted these videos on only TikTok and Twitter, forgoing popular Instagram Reels.
Nathan Redmond’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine
For the arrival of Nathan Redmond, the Clarets opted for one of the most viral videos from the TV series Brooklyn Nine-Nine (yes, it’s the police lineup). The team’s TikTok post has earned more than 3.1 million views, the third most viewed TikTok from Burnley this year. On Twitter, Burnley saw more than 20.4 million views from the Redmond announcement, the second most viewed Twitter post from the team this year, behind only — you guessed it — another fun, cultural reference from the movie Shrek.
This strategy of adding an element of creativity and humor reinforces the team’s identity and enhances the content’s virality, expanding its reach. This announcement not only won over the followers and fans of the English club but also gained attention in the press, which praised their wit and social media success.
Sander Berge’s Cameo in The Pink Panther
For the arrival of Norwegian international Sander Berge, the formula was quite similar. In this case, the chosen video was from the movie The Pink Panther (with Steve Martin), showing cleverness as it plays with the pronunciation of the player’s last name.
Aaron Ramsey’s “Barbie Moment”
Burnley joined in on the summer’s Barbie hype to welcome Aston Villa’s Aaron Ramsey to the team. The social team at Burnley used the Barbie clip that shows Barbie, Ken, and other characters saying “Hi” to each other. The camera then cuts to Ramsey in a Burnley kit, waving and saying “Hi, Burnley.” Burnely’s Twitter post as amassed 7.5 million video views. This is a perfect example of tying culture with sports — and what a way to do it with Barbie!
In this digital era, teams that understand that player transfers are more than just a move to a new team, but a powerful storytelling moment, will win over fans — especially the casual fan. Player transfers are a golden opportunity to showcase a team’s wit and connection with fan. Carefully planned and creative announcements manage to ignite passion among fans, attracting new followers, and strengthening the commitment of those who are already part of the fold.
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