The Sun - We Feel Football - Ad Analysis
AI Editor notes
Straight from the gut!!
“This is smart. Using 'Love Hurts' as an emotional misdirect is a clever hook. For 45 seconds, you're not sure what you're watching—a PSA, a film trailer? Then the pub erupts, and it all clicks. The final shot of the dejected rival fan surrounded by celebrating enemies is the perfect punchline. It's an authentic, knowing nod to the tribalism of football. Solid work.”
Quick Summary
This ad masterfully equates the gut-wrenching, all-consuming emotional rollercoaster of football fandom with the pain of a romantic breakup. It positions The Sun not just as a news source, but as a fellow fan that understands and shares in every agonizing loss and glorious victory.
Executive Summary
This commercial from The Sun is a textbook example of how to use a core human insight to create powerful, brand-defining advertising. The work stands on a simple, potent truth: for a dedicated fan, supporting a football team is an irrational act of love, characterized far more often by pain and suffering than by joy. But those rare moments of ecstasy make all the heartache worthwhile. The Sun leverages this insight not to report on football, but to position itself as a kindred spirit in the collective experience of fandom.
The execution follows a classic Setup-Turn-Payoff structure, deployed with patience and precision. The Setup (0:00-0:45) is a masterclass in misdirection. Accompanied by a soulful, mournful cover of 'Love Hurts,' the ad presents a montage of profound sadness. We see individuals in domestic settings—crying in bed, staring blankly in a bathtub—and dejected fans leaving a stadium. The choice of song perfectly frames these scenes as vignettes of romantic heartbreak. This deliberate ambiguity is crucial; it builds a universal emotional foundation before revealing the specific context, ensuring the viewer is already invested in the feeling of loss.
The Turn (0:46-0:51) is the ad's brilliant pivot. The location is finally fixed: a British pub, filled with anxious Sunderland supporters. The tension is palpable. Then, in a jarring but exhilarating shift, the sad music is cut and replaced by the raw, diegetic roar of the crowd as their team scores. This sudden explosion of joy provides a powerful emotional release, not just for the fans on screen, but for the viewer who has been steeped in melancholy for the preceeding 45 seconds.
This leads directly to the Payoff (0:52-1:00). The camera finds the 'other side' of the story: a lone Chelsea supporter, miserable amidst the jubilation of the rival fans. The on-screen text, 'ALL SEASON. WE'LL BE THERE,' followed by the shot of The Sun newspaper on his table, crystallizes the entire strategy. The brand isn't just there for the celebration; it's there for the pain, too. The tagline 'WE FEEL FOOTBALL' lands not as a generic slogan, but as an earned conclusion.
The team behind this ad should learn that emotional truth trumps product features every time. By focusing on a feeling that every single fan understands in their bones, The Sun created a piece of communication that builds its brand in a far more meaningful way than simply announcing its sports coverage. It's a smart, confident ad that respects its audience's intelligence and passion.
Theme Keywords
Brand Position
The Sun is the newspaper that truly understands and shares the emotional soul of the British football fan.
Brand Archetype
The Everyman
Creative Game Plan
Prove we understand the beautiful, irrational pain of being a true football fan by equating it to the universal feeling of heartbreak.
Diagnosis: Issues & Solutions
Primary Issue: Strategic Sense
The Problem:
The brand is only introduced in the final few seconds. While powerful, this runs the risk of the viewer remembering the clever creative device and the emotion, but not necessarily attributing it to The Sun. The message is so universal to football that a competitor could almost claim it.
The Solution:
Subtly integrate the brand earlier without breaking the narrative. For instance, one of the heartbroken fans in the opening montage could be staring at a copy of The Sun detailing a recent loss, tying the brand to the 'pain' phase of the story before the final reveal.
Secondary Issue: Clarity of "What's Next?"
The Problem:
The ad does a phenomenal job of building brand affinity but offers no bridge to engagement. The implicit call to action is 'read our paper,' but in a digital age, there's a missed opportunity to connect that feeling to a specific digital touchpoint.
The Solution:
A simple, non-intrusive addition to the end card, such as mentioning 'The Sun Sport' app or website, could provide a clear next step for the engaged viewer without undermining the ad's emotional weight.
Additional Notes
Credits
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