Life-size virtual fans at sport venue for the first time ever: Our new Seyu Fan Totem solution debuted at the FINA World Aquatics Championships
While our solutions have already been implemented at 350+ sports events before, there is always a need for innovation, due to rapid changes in the market. This is why we came up with a sustainable and versatile solution: the new Seyu LED Fan Totem, which debuted at the 2022 FINA World Aquatics Championships, where thanks to our service, thousands of people could participate at the event remotely — they could be there, without actually being there.
Joining forces with the Hungarian Water Polo Federation
In preparation for one of the world’s most watched sports events held in Budapest from 17 June to 3 July 2022 — the television coverage and live broadcast was watched cumulatively by over 4.5 billion people — we partnered with the Hungarian Water Polo Federation to deliver something new, that would wow the fans, both at the venues and home. Launching a new product together is another important step of the successful collaboration striked early in 2022 between Seyu and the federation which saw the parties boosting fan engagement at many water polo matches during the Hungarian Championship already.
A hardware + software solution based on the experience of the pandemic
With the coronavirus restrictions leaving the stadiums empty during the games, many teams looked for a solution to “bring fans on-site”; both for the motivation of players and for the experience of the fans. Borussia Mönchengadblach supporters filled their stadium with cardboard cut-outs of themselves for charitable causes. It was a very successful idea, in terms of connecting with the players and creating the atmosphere of a full stadium. However, this simple solution comes with many limitations.
Great ideas come with great success — and sometimes considerable limitations
Looking at these big cardboards, there is much room for improvement. The variety of options is quite limited, since one cardboard can only show one person at a time. On top of that, the cardboard’s design cannot be changed during the event. These factors significantly limit sponsors in terms of planning and carrying out a campaign. Last but not least, printing several different designs specific for a certain event not only imposes financial burden on the clubs but the solution is not sustainable either.
Fan Totem: A creative and sustainable solution for fans and sponsors
While Seyu’s solutions have already been implemented at sports events before, due to rapid changes in the market, there is always a need for innovation. This is why we came up with a sustainable and versatile solution: the new LED Fan Totem, which debuted at the 2022 FINA World Aquatics Championships.
The solution was available during water polo games, so fans of the sport had the chance to post selfies with a variety of backgrounds customized for the event, which helped convey the main message of the organizers and one of the goals of Seyu: “Make History!”
Brand new possibilities on the horizon
This type of media technology opens up doors to brand new possibilities in fan engagement, by entertaining the audience with human-sized photos submitted by fans, along with supporting messages they send to the players. The activity can be accompanied by sponsor appearances, proposing new possibilities for digital monetization strategies to the organizers. The FINA brand appeared on the customized frame displayed on the screens along with the event’s official logo, all perfectly matching the brand guidelines of the organizers.
Since Seyu’s digital solution is designed to allow practically any change at any given moment, it can be used for any type of sport, anywhere in the world, whether it’s poolside, paddock, players tunnel, pitch-side, or the fan zone. This multi-purpose solution offers new ways to bridge the physical gap between sports venues, players, and their fans. Since all participants share their contact details, it’s also a great way to generate leads for further communications and widen the company’s reach.
At the FINA World Aquatics Championship, the solution successfully enabled thousands of people to participate in the event remotely — to be there, without actually being there. Get ready for more opportunities to appear on our brand new Seyu Fan Totem at more sports events in the future!
About Seyu
‘Seyu – Together for Victory!’ is a real-time moderated, branded, fan-generated content provider. Seyu is a technology solution for sports fans that enables them to motivate their favorite teams or athletes from anywhere in the world. The company uses partners’ existing IT infrastructure to allow fans around the world to post images to stadium LEDs and other digital surfaces during sports events through a moderated channel and then instantly share them on social media with media-branded frames. The service, which has been proven to be successful at more than 350 sports events, is one of the leading sports tech services in Hungary, and lovers of international sports are regularly able to enjoy its benefits as well.
