Startseite » Bad Boys for Life – Starring David Alaba & Kingsley Coman in Sony Pictures Campaign of the Year!
Together with Sony Pictures, we created a one-of-a-kind campaign that went absolutely viral on a global scale. For the highly anticipated launch of Bad Boys for Life, we teamed up with football superstars David Alaba and Kingsley Coman to produce a cinematic masterpiece, where they took on Will Smith and Martin Lawrence to prove who the real Bad Boys are. The story? Will Smith and Martin Lawrence weren’t impressed with Alaba and Coman’s singing skills, which led to a hilarious challenge: The two Bayern Munich stars turned the tables and made the Hollywood icons sing Bayern’s iconic anthem, Stern des Südens.
The result? Millions of views, massive engagement, and an unstoppable viral wave. Beyond social media, the campaign gained huge media attention, with major outlets covering the story and highlighting the unique crossover between football and Hollywood. Countless press articles emerged, and the video was shared by some of the biggest platforms worldwide. This campaign was not just a perfect fusion of sports and entertainment but also an unforgettable moment in pop culture.
As Will Smith and Martin Lawrence arrived in Germany for the release of Bad Boys for Life, Sony Pictures was looking for a standout campaign that would authentically connect with the local audience. At Mative, we’re known for our creative, culture-driven marketing strategies, and we saw the perfect opportunity to merge Hollywood with football. To make the campaign truly resonate, we carefully selected David Alaba and Kingsley Coman—two stars who embody the energy, charisma, and competitive spirit of the Bad Boys franchise.
With the third installment of the legendary Bad Boys saga launching, Sony needed a dynamic and engaging duo to create a high-impact promotional campaign alongside the film’s lead actors. Our mission was clear:
✅ Make the campaign feel authentic
✅ Bridge sports and entertainment
✅ Create a viral moment that fans wouldn’t forget
Our goal was to create a one-of-a-kind activation by seamlessly integrating elements from Bad Boys for Life into the campaign. We took inspiration from one of the key scenes in the movie, where the new Bad Boys struggle to sing the iconic Bad Boys theme song, much to the dismay of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, who insist it takes years of practice to perform it convincingly. We recreated this moment—but with a football twist. David Alaba and Kingsley Coman stepped into the scene, attempting to sing the Bad Boys song, only to be immediately interrupted by Smith and Lawrence. But instead of backing down, the Bayern stars flipped the script—challenging Will and Martin to sing “Stern des Südens,” the legendary Bayern Munich anthem. The result? A hilarious, must-see moment that resonated with both football and film fans.
To maximize reach, we launched the cinematic piece across the social media channels of the players, instantly sparking massive engagement. The campaign took off globally, going viral within hours. During the shoot, we also captured an exclusive FaceTime moment with David Alaba, who couldn’t be on set, joined by Serge Gnabry. This behind-the-scenes clip became an instant hit on social media, adding another layer of authenticity and virality to the campaign. To further amplify the campaign, we sent Kingsley Coman to the official German premiere in Berlin, where he joined Will Smith and Martin Lawrence on the red carpet. Coman posed with the stars, greeted fans, and further solidified the connection between football, entertainment, and pop culture.
The campaign achieved enormous reach, becoming one of the most talked-about activations of the year
✅ 30M+ impressions across all platforms
✅ Major newspapers and media outlets covered the campaign extensively
✅ FC Bayern Munich shared the video, amplifying its global visibility
✅ Countless publishers and top-tier platforms like 433 and B/R Football picked it up
✅ Recognized as a Best Case in marketing, setting a new industry benchmark
The campaign made headlines worldwide, proving the power of merging sports, entertainment, and viral storytelling. A huge thank you to Sony Pictures and We Play Forward for the incredible collaboration that made this success possible! 🚀