How Arsenal tackled food poverty with football

Our Brief

Our brief was to harness the collectivism of football communities and the cultural power of the game to shift public attitudes around the need for food banks.

Strategy

“Bin dippers”, “Feed the Scousers”, “Eating rats in their council house”. Football fans have long used poverty as a punchline, especially when tribal rivalries play out in chants and online.

But football fans also drive change and solidarity. From facing down racism to tackling homophobia, football has led the way in shaping a better society, by uniting as one football family to make clear what we think is acceptable as a nation. From Marcus Rashford to Norwich City, we have seen what happens when football uses its platform for good.

We set out to reframe the conversation around food poverty by engaging the football community on its own terms through voices it trusts, content it recognizes, and platforms it uses daily.

By using the word “hunger” in the way fans hear it every weekend, and then hitting them with the twist, we were able to land a serious issue in a language that football fans understand.

Creative

We partnered with Bryan’s Gunn, a creator known for remix-style football commentary that blends cultural insight with fan humor. His real name is Will, and he’s not a professional content creator. His actual day job is selling event packages for a medical publisher. But he has built a cult following by making football content that truly connects with fans.

For Will, this was personal. When his wife’s family arrived in the UK from Bosnia, they used Trussell food banks. Will visited Southwark Foodbank to see the work up close and speak to the people involved. He wanted to understand it properly, not just talk about it online.

X was the primary launch platform due to its dominance in football discourse and the high presence of sports journalists, creators, and deeply engaged fans. Plus how great, that a platform now considered a cesspit by some has a chance to deliver some real-world good.

Implementation

We created a Hero Video with Bryan’s Gunn, built in his distinctive commentary remix style. It opens with managers, pundits, and players using the word “hunger” in footballing contexts before flipping to highlight real-life hunger. Featuring voices like Jürgen Klopp, Mary Earps, Dion Dublin, and Alex Scott, the video invites fans to reconsider a familiar cliché in a stark new light.

We also created a 'Football vs Hunger Charter', signed by 13 clubs across all four UK nations at launch including Liverpool, Everton, St Johnstone, and Motherwell. The Charter asked clubs and fans to take a stand and challenge food poverty publicly, as well as not accept chanting around poverty in matches.

The campaign launched around the Merseyside derby, in partnership with Liverpool North Foodbank, and rolled out across Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It was designed to cut through to a “cold” audience those who might not usually engage with a charity message using authenticity, humor, and emotion.

Results and Evaluation

523,000 video views, 414,000 unpaid on X – Hero video generated strong organic traction, supported by reposts from Mundial, Guardian Football, Football Joe, and others.

4.8 million social reach – Amplified by national journalists and public figures including Richard Osman, John Cross, and Jim White.

427 million editorial reach – 72 pieces of media coverage across 57 national outlets, including The Athletic, The Independent, and Football Clichés podcast.

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