Czech Radio enabled fans to leave messages of support for their 2014 Olympic heroes, scattered across the virtual skyscape. An augmented reality channel for communication for those unable to be there in person, stars shining their light directly in response.
When the Winter Olympics landed in Sochi, Czech athletes arrived without their people. Distance, visas and inflated costs ensured the stands would be quiet, but sport doesn’t run on infrastructure alone. It runs on belief. When you can’t stand beside someone, you look up. The one thing fans and athletes still shared was the same sky. So instead of broadcasting support, Czech Radio created a way to give it direction, turning the night sky above Sochi into a channel for encouragement and hope.
By pointing their phones upward, fans placed messages on real stars in an augmented skyscape, while athletes read and responded under the same constellations. Support became participatory, intimate and reciprocal. FANSTARS became the largest direct fan–athlete communication platform in Olympic history, engaging supporters across 18 countries, with every athlete responding at least once. Four of six medal winners credited the experience as contributing to their success. The Czech Republic went on to its most successful Winter Games ever. Not because the team was different, but because they were no longer alone.
Client: Czech Radio
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Prague
Creative Directors: Will Rust, Claudiu Dobrita, Peter Karvinen
Art Directors: Petra Biro, Marko Wankewycz, Daniel Kupr
IOS Development: Adikt Mobile
Case Study: Boogie Films