The people of Ireland’s unwavering support for its national football team is renowned, with fans often celebrated as some of the friendliest in the world. This passion is reflected in iconic works like Roddy Doyle’s The Van. Despite often being seen as the underdog, Ireland’s fans are united by a shared belief that their team can triumph against the odds.
Mark Tuthill, Rob Murray, and Robert Potts at Core took inspiration from a pivotal moment in football – the free kick just outside the penalty box – and reimagined the defensive wall as a powerful metaphor. In their concept, the wall of defenders became a symbol of the entire nation, with fans standing together, shoulder to shoulder, to protect the goal. This powerful idea was beautifully captured in their emotionally uplifting spot for Sky, with the tagline: ‘Bound by Belief.’
To bring this vision to life, they enlisted Henry Mason to direct a stirring sixty-second ad. The spot blends the raw authenticity of real Irish fans with the epic scale of the national stadium, packed with supporters. Special effects were used to amplify the scale, creating a visually stunning and emotionally charged tribute to the unity and belief that defines Irish football fans. The result is a moving and inspiring celebration of Ireland’s indomitable spirit.
Director Henry Mason said, “I love creating films that are epic in scale and yet deeply intimate. So, when I heard about this script for SKY, I was immediately calling everyone I knew in Ireland to try to get on the bid. I feel incredibly fortunate that the creative team at Core believed in me and threw their support behind me.
“It was incredibly challenging bringing together such an authentic cast of real Irish football fans, and shooting them within a highly complex post-fx world, but with Andrew Freedman (Antidote Films) and Jason Watts (Free Folk post production) at my side we pulled it off. Never letting go of our vision to keep genuine emotion at the heart of the spot.
“A huge shoutout to Kate O’Callaghan, the business director at Core, who was the glue holding it all together. A project like this is incredibly challenging to pull off, but Kate’s sheer determination made it happen.”