MPT: Grassroots Football for the Nation

MPT's multi-year sponsorship of the Myanmar National League (MNL) was a significant investment, and the company wanted it to mean more than a logo on a shirt. The mission was to drive excitement and restore interest in youth football and development opportunities across the country, and to earn goodwill for MPT through that commitment.

Football sponsorship coverage in Myanmar had traditionally been confined to sports media and state-owned publications, a narrow audience for a brand that serves the whole nation. Reaching young people and their families meant telling stories in the media they actually consumed.

Ruder Finn Era reframed the sponsorship as a story about young people and opportunity rather than league fixtures. Youth programme activities were shaped into human stories from towns across the country, giving general-interest outlets a reason to cover them.

As MPT's agency, the team was already in regular contact with a wide media base, and used that access to take the stories to broadcast, web-based and mass print media well beyond the sports desks.

Consistent, nationwide outreach kept the joint MPT and MNL commitment to sport and health in front of young audiences throughout the season, rather than only around headline matches.