The Praised Sons

A Timeless Anthem Echoes 100 Years of PAOK History in a Chilling Campaign by Superbet and Ogilvy Greece

Legendary football club PAOK, Northern Greece’s most beloved team, recently marked a monumental milestone: 100 years of history. A century defined by pride, passion, resilience, and an unbreakable bond with its fans and iconic black-and-white colors.

To celebrate this landmark anniversary and mark the beginning of a new partnership with Superbet, which launched in Greece in late March, Ogilvy Greece created a campaign conceived not for casual spectators but for PAOK’s true faithful.

At the heart of the campaign lies the club’s very first anthem, written in 1927. Still sung by children in the club’s Academy before every match, the chant carries the memory of PAOK’s refugee roots, the soul of the club, and the pride of Thessaloniki — uniting past, present, and future in spine-chilling fashion.

In the film, four homegrown players deliver an emotional oath of victory before a crucial first-team match at the legendary Toumba Stadium. Their voices echo not only across the stadium, but through the city, across Northern Greece, and throughout a century of history.

Shot as an emotional journey through time, the film blends cinematic textures and techniques — from 16mm stock to digital, from black-and-white to color, from rapid-fire sequences to epic tableaux. Propelled by visceral editing and a soundtrack pulsing with the rhythm and tension of a stadium chant, the narrative expands into a sweeping tribute through neighborhoods, landmarks, historic moments, veteran footballers, living legends and fans who embody PAOK’s grit and spirit.

Directed by Thanos Mitsios, produced by Boo Productions and with music and sound by BOUNCE, the film quickly became a cultural talking point, going viral across Greek social media with millions of views, thousands of emotional comments and shares — including from rival supporters — in the days leading up to PAOK’s centenary celebration on April 20.

More than a sponsorship launch film, the piece struck a deep emotional chord with fans by tapping into something larger than football: memory, identity and belonging. In doing so, it turned a brand partnership into a heartfelt tribute embraced organically by the community it sought to honor.