Recognising the Fifa franchise as the leading cultural curators
The Fifa video game franchise has achieved almost unparalleled success, with the latest edition, Fifa 18 selling over 10 million units to date. Taking this into consideration, it is no surprise that its ongoing legacy has deep roots in popular culture.
Take the online based game mode FUT for example, also known as Fifa Ultimate Team, it has become such a smash hit amongst fans that it has developed into a financial ecosystem in its own right, generating $800 million annually for EA Sports.
Fifa’s reach in terms of sales and engagement is absolutely unrivaled, however, as far as cultural impact is concerned, the Fifa brand is an unsung pioneer.
Fifa has been setting the bar as cultural tastemakers for almost a decade, with their consistent run of compiling entertaining and engaging soundtracks, mostly from a pool of relatively unknown talent, and delivering timeless classics that routinely achieve iconic status amongst grassroots fans of the franchise.
These songs represent an evocative journey into our intimate relationship with the football game, from galvanizing victories to crushing defeats, Fifa has provided the soundtrack to our youth and adolescence.
As the franchise has become more popular, though they have collaborated with more and more high profile artists for their soundtracks, their cultural and social consciousness has enabled them to understand the tastes and interests of their fans.
Using Avelino’s ‘Energy’ featuring Stormzy and Skepta as the flagship song in the Fifa 18 soundtrack, and engineering the controversial yet culturally timeless Sneakbo and Giggs collaboration.
Fifa has become perhaps the most accomplished yet underrated cultural curators of the last decade.
Richie Babalola. Storyteller // I write, create & document.
Socials: @richiebabalola
Email: richie.babalola@gmail.com
