Leinster Rugby’s integrated 2018/19 season ticket campaign, called ‘Live A Little’, was the largest single largest piece of outbound communications from the team’s marketers.
The objective behind the campaign, developed in harness with agency Atomic Sport, was four-fold: to capitalise on the team’s on-pitch success, to retain existing season ticket holders, to upsell to regular match goers and to reinforce the emotional benefits of being a season ticket holder.
The challenge for the self-styled ‘most successful club in Europe’ was to overcome the hurdle that while the club needs the fans to turn up at the stadium and create a winning atmosphere, supporters have never had more alternative options to follow their sport: at home on television, with friends in the pub or streaming while on the go.
So the initiative set out to encourage fans to stop watching on their mobile, stop staring at the television set, stop going to the same pubs where you can’t get a good view of the screen, and to get up off the couch and watch the game live at the stadium in the real world.
The message was to #LiveALittle by experiencing everything that is part of being a Leinster Rugby season ticket holder: the bitter cold months, the uncertain glory and the potential rewards that await at the end of a gruelling season.
The proposition was that ‘Because life is about living, and living doesn’t get much better than being a part of the most successful club in European Rugby’.
(Last season saw the club lift a fourth European Champions Cup trophy in May).
The creative solution, developed in harness with agency Atomic was a call out to all Leinster fans: A new season lies ahead of us.
“It’ll be tough, cold, long and demanding on all of us, but first and foremost, it will be best experienced in person. Join our season long adventure. Live A Little.”
The foundation blocks of the multi-platform campaign’s creative saw the team work with renowned typographer Jon Contino to create a visual language for the work to match the challenge and the insight.
The team followed by creating a number of typographical and video assets all of which reflected what it meant to be a real Leinster fan – from the cold winter months to the moments of stranger-hugging-joy.
Execution taglines included:
• Wanted. People of Leinster. No wages bitter cold month. Honour if we succeed
• Wanted. People of Leinster for epic adventure, months of tension, glory uncertain.
• Ever hugged a complete stranger? Like Full on unbridled, joy-filled, squeezing the life out of each other hugged a stranger? It’s amazing.
• Great Adventure doesn’t start of the couch
The visuals were deployed online via paid-for media in OOH (including public transport),
This is good > Dart advertising from @leinsterrugby and agency. #livealittle pic.twitter.com/kYxXabqSNI
— Paul Mallon (@PaulMallon1) August 30, 2018
digital and press, as well as on Leinster’s own digital and social channels all linked via the #LiveALittle hashtag.
WANTED. PEOPLE OF LEINSTER.
NO WAGES. BITTER COLD MONTHS.
HONOUR IF WE SUCCEED.#LiveALittle. Leinster Rugby Season Tickets are available now: https://t.co/ALK5ptqGmO pic.twitter.com/bc8SNLqDmo
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) April 10, 2018
Don't sit on the sidelines.#LiveALittle: https://t.co/ALK5ptIhem pic.twitter.com/ptYCZmUdQb
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) May 17, 2018
Embrace life with open arms. #LiveALittle. Season Tickets available now: https://t.co/ALK5ptqGmO pic.twitter.com/mmIOKqJyMm
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) May 9, 2018
Where did you watch the Champions Cup Semi-Final?
Same pub? Same big screen? Same heads in the way?#LiveALittle.
Leinster Rugby 2018/19 Season Tickets are on sale now: https://t.co/VQniayAueL pic.twitter.com/ujm9CS6Noj
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) April 23, 2018
#LiveALittle and help us defend the double next season!
https://t.co/ALK5ptIhem pic.twitter.com/uIjv48M8KM
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) July 9, 2018
With some assets tweaked to target specific demographic sub-segments.
Students of Leinster!
Your Season Tickets will be available to collect from #LeinsterRugby HQ in UCD from 10am on Thursday morning!
They can also be collected from the RDS Ticket Office before #LEIvDRA on 15th September.#LiveALittle pic.twitter.com/ZP5PfNOJno
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) September 5, 2018
Don't let the delivery driver be your only contact with the outside world.#LiveALittle
Leinster Rugby 2018/19 Season Tickets are available now: https://t.co/ALK5ptqGmO pic.twitter.com/bSk9fO6vWB
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) May 25, 2018
Another key strand was a set of match day videos were created for the in-stadium audience.
While a radio phase told fans to get out of the pub, up off the couch and live a little.
The campaign was created by an Atomic Sport team that was led by creative director Greg Mutton, design director Stephen Kiernan, art director Luzie Ardelean, copywriter Eoin Tierney, account director Patrick Murphy and senior account manager Trevor Cloak.
Comment:
This inventive, new 2018/19 ticket initiative followed on from a spectacular end to Leinster Rugby’s previous season on the pitch with another Champions Cup win.
Showing that the best marketers, like the best players, can’t rest on their laurels when it comes to building on success and continuing to grow the business.
And the statistics certainly suggest that this season ticket (here’s what they look like) campaign has been a success.
Leinster has sold a record breaking 12,500-plus season tickets for the 2018/19 season: ensuring that the club will have a stadium filled with its loyal, supportive fans for all home games.
#LeinsterRugby is delighted to announce that Season Ticket sales have passed the 12,500 mark, with two weeks remaining until the start of the season!
Full story: https://t.co/thwMKXL97b#LiveALittle pic.twitter.com/jgeMh1tlG3
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) August 17, 2018
This season ticket campaign was followed in June by the joint Adidas/Leinster Training Kit campaign,
in August by a new season shirt marketing initiative,
and then in mid September by the European shirt campaign.
The new @adidas #LeinsterRugby European jersey is available to buy online and in-store today exclusively from @lifestylesports!
https://t.co/pXrF2qGd6O#LiveLeinster pic.twitter.com/ffoyHyIrLj
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) September 19, 2018
Links:
Leinster Rugby
https://www.leinsterrugby.ie/seasontickets
https://twitter.com/leinsterrugby
https://www.facebook.com/leinsterrugby
https://www.instagram.com/leinsterrugby
https://www.youtube.com/user/LeinsterrugbyTV
Atomic Sport
