Jungle21 (J21) gets into the publishing business with the soccer masthead Libero acquisition. This operation is part of the inorganic growth company’s strategy, diversifying capabilities, and its commitment to adding more talent. It’s their fourth acquisition since being listed on the stock exchange after the integration of the creative boutique PINK, the lab of futures Invisible, and the digital company FCK.
Líbero is an independent editorial/publishing project founded a decade ago by journalist Diego Barcala to bring social reflections to football (without shouting) and become a preferred space in sports journalism. Apart from being a cultural referent, Libero has been linked with creativity since its origins. The campaign “If they explain it to you with football, you understand it”, developed by Nicolás Gómez Cal, actual creative director of PS21, became a milestone in advertising creativity by using soccer culture to explain life through football concepts: “Talk, touch, touch…if you have the ball, the rival gets tired, and if they get tired they don’t ask you about the wedding”.
“If they explain it to you football, you understand it” had successful subsequent campaigns such as “Eterno Calderón” “Touch them with football” against testicular cancer or Futbol Vs Alzheimer, recognized at Cannes Lions, Festival El Sol o El Ojo de Iberoamérica.
J21s’ creative ecosystem enters the editorial/publishing sector through a consolidated project with a strong journalistic approach and experience in an industry and culture as powerful as football, the largest sports business in the world (after American football), and the sport that generated the highest audiences globally.
“As we say in Libero, if they explain it to you with football, you understand it. As director and founder of Líbero, Jungle21 presents the opportunity to play in Champions. We have to take that path with our readers to whom we owe our lives after a decade of dirt football and black boots. It’s time to share the football with more people without shouting and the different and distinguished treatment that we have been giving it these years. We want to do more things, score more goals, and give more goal hugs.”, explained Diego Barcala, founder and director of Líbero.
“It’s a strategic and key move for Jungle21. As a masthead, Líbero has a great potential for growth and expansion, in addition to providing us with valuable experience to tackle creative projects within the sports and soccer field. Moreover, the talent and editorial vision of Diego gives the ecosystem different capabilities and knowledge to open new growth opportunities.” According to Jacobo Pérez del Pulgar, co-founder and director of the Jungle21 ecosystem.
JUNGLE 21’s creative ecosystem was listed on Euronext Paris on March 4 to continue its expansion process. With 165 employees and six independent companies: PS21, a creative agency; True, a communication consultancy with creative DNA; Redbility, a product design, and digital services consultancy; ES3, a digital agency; PINK, a creative boutique; the future design and cultural laboratory Invisible and the digital creative agency FCK: J21 is creating a new company model with creativity at the center.
