Cricket Australia’s ‘The Rivalry That Unites Us’ campaign, which promotes 2013/14’s twin home and away Ashes series, takes a classic ‘national pride’ sports marketing approach based on the idea that sports oldest enduring rivalry uniquely brings people together.
The initiative is spearheaded by a TV spot, developed in tandem with agency GPY&R, that aims to bring to life the idea that The Ashes is more than just a game of cricket, but is the epitome of the world’s greatest sporting rivalry and has a unique ability to unite the nation.
Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Aussie rock legend Jimmy Barnes appear in the campaign – leveraging their own enduring public support of the game – and both discuss the series’ intense rivalry and remind Australians about ‘the national pride at stake’.
‘The Ashes is a battle that almost all Australians, including myself, are passionate about. I love what it brings out in every player and every fan,’ says Barnes.
‘It’s not just about the winning, it’s more about the courage and determination the players show and what that makes the country feel. It’s about giving everything you have to be a part of something that brings us all together.’
The objective of the Cricket Australia campaign is to highlights the rivalry and tension that exists among the players and fans in an Ashes year and to use this spirit to bring the nation together.
‘Cricket is the number one sport in Australia for passion and we wanted the campaign to capture the intense passion, rivalry and anticipation that only an Ashes Series can deliver,’ says Cricket Australia’s senior marketing manager Julian Dunne.
This aim is echoed by GPY&R senior copywriter Evan Roberts who says he hoped the ad would encourage more Australians to get behind the Australian cricket team as they battle it out for the urn.
‘This Ashes campaign is all about the rivalry that exists between Australia and England. The rivalry is bigger than just a game of cricket, wanting to beat the English is part of who we are as a nation,’ adds Roberts. ‘Our hope is that this ad will encourage more Aussies yelling support over the fence, at their TVs and radios this summer.’
Comment
Firing fan passion and using this emotion to bring people together is THE classic sponsorship activation tactic.
But, as well as gathering the great and good of the Australian celebrity firmament to lead the way, perhaps this campaign could do something tangible and shareable to genuinely unite Australian cricket fans rather than just try to ignite their excitement through edited action highlights, fan shots and famous faces?
Links
Campaign Tube Film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh02TNYs37s
Cricket Australia Website
