PlayStation x UEFA Champions League Festival - The Road To Wembley

Client: Sony Interactive Entertainment Ltd (PlayStation)

PlayStation took over London during the UEFA Champions League festival, creating a city-wide activation that combined their iconic IP with football culture. Leveraging their long-standing UCL partnership, PlayStation brought playful, interactive experiences to fans, blending gaming with football in unexpected ways. The experience was inspired by the fan favourite game Astro Bot and designed to get PlayStation and UEFA fans excited to experience beloved IP in a new way.

The centrepiece was a giant pinball machine in Trafalgar Square, where players used a PS5 controller to guide a ball through a “Road to Wembley” story, unlocking bonus points tied to popular PlayStation titles like Horizon, God of War, and Gran Turismo. The highest scorers won UEFA Final tickets or PS5 bundles. Other immersive experiences included an oversized claw-grabber machine and a freeze-frame statue of Captain Astro and NPCs. These activations brought PlayStation’s character and IP to life, sparking imagination and connecting with both football and gaming fans. The campaign aimed to elevate PlayStation’s UCL partnership by creating shareable, disruptive moments of play. The project featured advanced tech such as accelerometers, and LIDAR sensors, making the pinball game a unique fusion of gameplay and engineering. The activation was a success, achieving widespread visibility across London, engaging 1,300 participants, and showcasing PlayStation’s diverse offerings. Through this innovative experience, PlayStation captured the essence of both brands, appealing to loyal fans while attracting new audiences, and leaving a lasting cultural impact on the festival.