Global Fútbol

For Elche CF, the 2022/23 season is one that is revolving around the club’s centenary. The club have understood that this historic event is an opportunity to boost the brand and to strengthen connections with the fanbase.  

A wide range of initiatives are being organised throughout the season, offering something for everyone, from the youngest fans to the oldest fans, as well as for all the target audiences that could find the Elche CF brand appealing.

One issue for the club concerned the exact date of the centenary, as there are some who think it should be the anniversary of the club’s foundation, which was 1922, and others who’d prefer to celebrate it on the date of the institution’s registration with the federation, which was 1923. Having listened to all opinions, the club felt that the best solution was to celebrate the centenary throughout the 2022/23 season. They explained: “There is a disparity of criteria regarding the date of foundation of the club, as there are those who put it at 1922 and those who put it at 1923. Therefore, in order to put this problem to one side, we decided that this should be a centenary season, encompassing both calendar years and not just one.”

From there, all the activities organised by the club have had the centenary as a fundamental axis. They said: “We started with a specific centenary logo, launched last June, which was the starting point for this centenary. With the logo and specific images, we were able to bring everything together for this very important and special milestone in the club’s history, while we have also been able to do all this in LaLiga Santander.”

To mark this 100th anniversary, Los Franjiverdes have adopted a new corporate identity to commemorate this event. This new brand image will be used in all possible spaces, so that the season can be fully associated with this commemorative logo and remembered as a symbol of the club’s history.

The club made clear: “This isn’t a logo that is replacing our badge, but rather they coexist. The logo always appears, though in clear coexistence with our badge and our brand. At specific events it does take on greater prominence, while it’ll always be present in club and corporate identity settings.”

‘A centenary feeling’

The club have designed an agenda packed with a wide variety of events, with the aim of reaching all age groups of fans. This was presented with a gala held in November in the presence of the board, current players, ex-players, sponsors, other figures from the city and region of Elche and the supporters. As well as presenting the agenda of events for celebrating and commemorating the anniversary, the new centenary anthem ‘Un sentimiento centenario’ (‘A centenary feeling’, in English) was also performed live for the first time, with this being one of the projects the  club had put the most effort towards.

Composed and performed by local band Diagnóstico Binario, it is a modern song with lyrics inspired by the club’s history. The aim was to give fans of the club a song to feel proud of, while the choice of this group was the latest example of the club’s clear commitment to highlighting local talent and ability.

On the anthem, the club stated: “Diagnóstico Binario aren’t only a great music group, but they’re friends of Elche CF and they put all their talent, enthusiasm and heart into creating ‘A centenary feeling’, an anthem born in Elche that will be intergenerational and that will cross borders. Because, as the lyrics say, from Elche to the rest of the world, they have to hear us.”

Putting the fans at the heart of everything

The club have organised several actions to reinforce the Elche CF brand, from a season ticket campaign to a centenary shirt to the anthem to the many other events that have been held and that will be held over the remainder of the season. Beyond that, the club’s intention has been “to put the fans at the centre” and to make them “the protagonists of all the events”.

In addition, Elche CF’s federation of fan groups has put together a complementary agenda of events, one which the club closely collaborated with them on, ensuring there weren’t overlaps. On the important role played by the fans, the club said: “We always listen to our fans and try to make them feel that they are protagonists and participants in all the events. This anniversary is thanks to them and to all those who, at one time or another in our history, helped Elche CF to reach the present day.”

The centenary is seen by the club as a unique opportunity to develop the club’s brand and to reach out to all the existing fans and all the potential fans. They said: “We want the centenary branding to stay linked to our club as a symbol of the power of our history and of what it means to us to be a centenary club.”

It’s clear that Elche CF have understood how to make the most of the special occasion that is the 100th anniversary and that the club will continue carrying out initiatives that keep the fanbase growing in the future, well beyond this centenary season.