Early January saw Special K launch a new campaign in Australia activating its partnership with the AFL Women’s League to drive the rise of female athletes everywhere.
As one of the founding sponsors of AFL Women’s League, the cereal brand’s New Year initiative celebrates the inspiring stories of AFLW athletes as they navigate life, work and professional sport.
‘Rise with Us’ launched ahead of the AFLW 2020 season kick off on 7 February and runs across TV and digital.
The campaign, conceived and created by agency Wunderman Thompson with director director Suzanne Kim, is led by commercials which come in 60- and 15-second spots that showcase the lives of four professional AFL women’s players: Moana Hope, Darcy Vescio, Chloe Malloy and Monique Conti.
The brand ambassador athletes were chosen because they all live rich and varied lives: Vescio plays for Carlton Football Club and works as a freelance graphic designer, Moana Hope was signed by Collingwood and North Melbourne while caring full-time for her sister Vinny and also juggles media commitments and running her own business, while Monique Conti is a dual-sport representative playing for both ALFW’s Western Bulldogs and the Women’s National Basketball League’s Melbourne Boomers while studying a Bachelor of Business and AFLW Rising Star Award winner Chloe Malloy plays for Collingwood Football Club and studies a Bachelor of Sports Media while also working across four internships.
“Special K is a proud founding sponsor of the AFL Women’s League and we wanted to do more to tell the stories of these dedicated athletes and fantastic role models that is relatable to all people,” explained Kellogg ANZ Marketing and Corporate Affairs Director Tamara Howe.
Simon Langley, national chief creative officer at Wunderman Thompson added: “To follow their dreams of playing AFL, these women have to work tremendously hard; from when they begin playing as kids to the challenges faced playing professionally. It’s been a privilege working with the Kellogg’s team and the AFL to help tell the stories of these women.”
The campaign was created for Kellogg’s Director of Marketing & Corporate Affairs ANZ Tamara Howe, Portfolio Marketing Manager Dan Bitti and Special K Brand Manager Felicha Hogan by Wunderman Thompson.
The agency team included National Chief Creative Officer Simon Langley, Partner Ana Lynch, Creative Director Sinead Roarty, Copywriter James Southey, Art Director Amee Wilson, Engagement Manager Rebekah O’Grady and Senior Producer Gabe Hammond.
The production company was Collider, the director was Suzanne Kim, the producer was Lucy Pilkington, the EP was Rachel Ford-Davies, with audio and sound design by Abby Sie, music from Lance Gurisik and composer Nathan Cavaleri and post production from The Cannery @ Wunderman Thompson with editor Joe Morris, grade Fergus Rotherham and flame op Heather Galvin.
Comment:
The ‘Rise With Us’ campaign is part of Special K’s ongoing #poweringyou platform which was launched to activate the start of the first NAB AFL Women’s Competition following on from Special K signing up as an inaugural sponsor of the competition and which seeks to inspire girls and women around the country to live life at full strength everyday.
This deal was the cereal brand’s first sports sponsorship in Australia.
The launch of the AFLW in 2017 created a movement in Australia and provided women with an equal opportunity to play elite AFL football and in parallel the #poweringyou platform aims to celebrate the power of women with a focus on using nutrients to help women be the best version of themselves.
Through the rights owner AFLW and by working local football clubs, the brand seeks to support women all over Australia to live life at full strength.
In May 2018 Special K extended its initial sponsorship of the AFLW and at that time Kellogg’s marketing director Tamara Howe said that the AFLW was a great fit for the brand.
“The league and Special K both live and breathe the purpose of inspiring strength in Aussie women,” she explained.
“Special K has a role to play in helping women achieve their full potential, by providing women with nourishing foods that help them live life at full strength. AFLW represent everything Special K believes in. We want to be able to inspire young girls and women in their everyday life. We aim to support and inspire women to live life at full strength, enabling possibilities and feeding their strength. Our continued partnership with the AFLW solidifies this mantra. The AFLW is all about celebrating strong women within the game, and we are excited to see our partnership applaud every great chase, strong tackle, crucial mark and goal-saving smother with the Special K ‘Play of the Day’.”
It was with the initial sponsorship that Special K first added players Hope and Vescio to its sports star endorser stable and they have appeared in branded social and digital content since 2017.
And the early 2020 work follows on from the brand’s 2019 AFLW activation also featuring ambassadors Moana Hope and Karen Paxman.
Links:
Special K Australia
www.facebook.com/specialkaustralia
www.instagram.com/specialkaustralia
https://www.youtube.com/user/myspecialkau
Wunderman Thompson
https://www.wundermanthompson.com/
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