Leveraging spiking interest in the sport around the 2021 Rugby League World Cup – taking place in England from 15 October to 19 November 2022 – fitness and performance energy drink brand Reign Total Body Fuel rolled out a docuseries profiling a team of England stars and brand ambassadors – including men’s forward John Bateman, women’s centre Amy Hardcastle and men’s wheelchair star James Simpson.
With the World Cup spanning a trio of simultaneous tournaments – men’s, women’s and wheelchair – the campaign activates the brand’s England Rugby League sponsorship and heroes three brand ambassadors and England stars: exploring career progression and overcoming adversity to reach the pinnacle of the game.
The #ReadytoReign England Rugby League series will be broadcast across all digital, social and athlete channels.
The first film in the series, ‘Playing For My Country: John Bateman’, dropped on 3 October and sees the Wigan Warrior and England player discuss his school struggles, his obsession with the game, his grit and determination and how the birth of his daughter helped him towards rugby league greatness.
The second documentary, ‘Being The Best Version Of Me: Amy Hardcastle’, rolled out on 10 October and told the story of Amy Hardcastle: an England women’s team star who fought her way back into the national team following a teenage pregnancy and battle with post-natal depression.
The third spot in the digital-first trilogy features former soldier James Simpson. Called ‘The Moment That Changed My Life: James Simpson’ and debuting on 12 October, the video discusses the life-changing injuries that led him to wheelchair rugby league, his mindset and resilience to overcome adversity and the opportunity that a home World Cup poses for all England teams.
“The new England Rugby League #ReadytoReign campaign can inspire others to challenge their mindset and their own physical and mental boundaries, in order to perform at their best. In one of the world’s toughest sports, John, Amy and James each showcase immense grit and determination to reach the top,” commented Reign Total Body Fuel, VP Of Brand ben Ashlin. “We’re proud to provide Reign zero sugar energy drink to players in all teams, to train hard in the gym and we wish them every success in this World Cup.”
Rugby Football League Chief Commercial Officer Mark Foster added: “The #ReadytoReign campaign ethos is the perfect embodiment of the graft, desire and achievements of John, Amy and James. As you’ll see, whilst rugby league is their passion, their lives have ebbed and flowed in different ways. But it is their will to overcome adversity and ignore the barriers that have defined their lives and will stand them in good stead for this autumn’s tournament.”
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This campaign leveraged the deal, unveiled in August 2022, which saw Reign Total Body Fuel become an official partner of England Rugby League – a tie-up that spanned the men’s, women’s and wheelchair teams.
When the alliance was announced, Reign not only ran a World Cup ticket contest and a meet-and-greet sweepstakes, but also said that it would activate the sponsorship through product provision, through-the-line ad campaigns led by player/ambassador stories, competition and in-store initiatives, plus Reign branded sports kit bundles.
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