LiveScore had Sunderland fans doing double takes after turning the club’s iconic Black Cat into a ‘Black Dog’

Fans arriving at the Stadium of Light ahead of Sunderland AFC’s match against Manchester United were met by something unexpected this weekend… the club’s iconic Black Cat had been replaced by a Black Dog.

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, the club’s Principal Partner, LiveScore, unveiled a striking installation outside Black Cat House, reimagining one of Sunderland’s most recognisable symbols to encourage conversation around mental health and suicide prevention, with the ‘Black Dog’ widely recognised as a metaphor for depression.

And once fans spotted it, they couldn’t miss it! The campaign spread across the entire matchday experience, from a special edition programme cover and fan activations outside the ground, to Sunderland players warming up in specially designed Black Dog t-shirts before kick-off.

The work also shone a light on Foundation of Light’s ‘Game of II Halves’ programme, supporting mental health awareness in the North East, which continues to record the highest suicide rates in England.

MatchFit supported from the initial campaign concept through to creative execution and full matchday delivery, helping bring the takeover to life ahead of one of Sunderland’s biggest home games of the season.

The result was a campaign that turned double takes outside the Stadium of Light into real conversations around mental health.