Little known for excessive advertising or sponsoring at all costs, Xbox has nevertheless announced an unexpected partnership with the FFF. And the most paradoxical thing is that this does not in any way concern video games, but simply its values to be transmitted to another amateur playground that Microsoft’s gaming branch wants to support.
This is arguably Xbox’s most unexpected partnership. And not even to design a new video game. This Thursday, March 24, the French gaming branch of Microsoft and the French Football Federation announced, during an event organized at the Stade de France, a collaboration which has nothing to do with video games, but is more philosophical and practical.
” Power your dreams “, proclaims the Xbox tagline since the launch of the Xbox Series X and Series S. Empowering your dreams, living them fully or at least getting closer to them: at Xbox, this takes all possible forms, and above all to everybody. For a long time, video games have been designed there in a broad way, with a desire for inclusiveness of all players, accessibility, diversity and tolerance. Values that have found support from the highest authority in French football.
A sharing of values
“It is a project of which we are very proud”
cowardly Ina Gelbert, Xbox France director, to Frandroid when asked surprised why this is the first real Xbox partnership in France and not on video games.“When we look around us at the different areas that share our values, sport stands out as a priority and football even more so.Sassociating with the FFF in order to be able to act at the local level in France seemed to us to be a logical follow-up to our desire to allow players, in particular amateur clubs, to have a better gaming experience, just as we are trying to do our side in the video game . »
Even if Xbox becomes the official gaming partner» of the FFF, do not expect to see green logos everywhere around the field during the matches of French teams. No more than consoles around the stadiums or Kylian Mbappé extolling the merits of Halo Infinite.Professional football is not even primarily concerned by this surprise alliance. “When I hear “gaming” I think of people playing together and connecting with each other.“, Underlines the boss of Xbox France. “There, it’s the gaming side for its values, not that of taking a controller and playing alone on your sofa ”.
And François Vasseur, Director of Marketing and Economic Development of the FFF, adds: “Our mantra at one time was “the joy of playing”. This DNA of the game, we share it. Gaming is indeed not the heart of the partnership. The commitment goes far beyond and will touch people on the link between the two fields. »
And to achieve this, the two partners have established their collaboration around actions in the field which are almost more like sponsorship. Because Xbox will launch its Xbox FC operation which aims to give a boost to amateur clubs by releasing funds to help renovate infrastructure and modernize equipment. “We are going to give amateur football and the players the means to play in the best conditions so that they can, why not, reach their dream and possibly have a professional career.“, explains Ina Gelbert.
Xbox, patron of amateur football
The terms of the project and the choices of the clubs have not yet been decided, but should. Xbox and the FFF still have to formalize this before launching calls for applications for clubs that would like to participate. “We don’t want it to be a one shot. We want to ensure maintenance and follow-up over time so that each action launched can last », she adds. “We want to have a real local impact with tangible effects and be able to say that we have brought something to the clubs over time so that the initial efforts are not in vain. »
To support the FFF and Xbox in this project, professional football personalities will lend themselves to the game. Sakina Karchaoui, PSG player and French international, will be the ambassador of the amateur football aid program which is to be enriched by initiatives over time. Her club and France teammate, Kadidiatou Diani, and streamer Domingo will be the faces of Xbox Day on May 21 at the eCup final in Clairefontaine. A day open to amateur clubs where inclusive workshops will be led to have good practices on digital as well as on the ground.
“Partnership, not sponsorship”
By moving away from video games, Xbox is not moving away from its values and will even take them to another field. The company has as much to gain in terms of general notoriety as image with players often won over to the cause of PlayStation competition via in particular the essentialFIFA 22. We deny it on the side of the firm, but it is a significant point through its action, even if it is not its heart. “We want to show that the Xbox brand and the actions we decide to take can have a local impact“, insists Ina Gelbert. The values carried have been real for years and they will be able to express themselves outside the video game circle to show that it is “more than football and video games“.
But the investment is there for Xbox in amateur football and not in the sponsorship of the France team, an easy way to make itself known and to show itself.“It’s a partnership, much more than sponsorship”, insists François Vasseur, even if fundamentally, on the FFF side in any case, we want to talk about a form of sponsorship based above all on a sharing of values. “By doing these actions, we will have a positive eye from millions of licensees and practitioners on our investment and our commitments which also give meaning to who we are. It is even more effective than a media communication which would perhaps be less embodied.»
The partnership takes effect this Thursday, but it is only the beginning, we are assured. Because other actions are to come then, as the two actors have multiple ideas in mind. They also hope to emulate and attract other renowned partners. Because before the round ball, before the controller, it is above all a question of communities of players whatever they are to raise awareness of common societal values around diversity and inclusion. If it can make them field or console players, it will always be taken for the good of all.
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