The new ‘Earn The Fern’ brand platform is a multi-platform initiative supporting New Zealand’s Winter Olympians competing at PyeongChang 2018.
The campaign revolves around exploring what athletes have to do to reach the elite level and earn the privilege of wearing the country’s iconic fern symbol.
The initiative saw the New Zealand Olympic Committee work in tandem with agency Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand on an integrated campaign that spans a video series, digital and social content and OOH work spearheaded by a special build in central Auckland (click to view).
Earn the Fern features an array of New Zealand 2018 Olympics and is spearheaded by a series of social video telling the stories of skier Janina Kuzma,
snowboarder Zoi Sadowski Synott,
ski cross athlete Jamie Prebble
and Bruce Wells, father and coach to the Wells brothers (three of whom will be competing in Korea).
Rolling out months ahead of the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games and running right through the event, as well as YouTube the campaign content runs across the rights-holder’s platforms including Facebook
Instagram,
and Twitter.
Introducing the New Zealand Olympic Team flag bearer for the XXIII Olympic Winter Games…
Beau-James Wells
Morehttps://t.co/QoiiqaC7XH#EarnTheFern@snowsports_nz pic.twitter.com/SBa71kxTQx
— NZ Olympic Team (@nzolympics) February 9, 2018
The campaign also continues through the competition with #EarnTheFern content pieces rolling out in real-time and in response to New Zealand athlete events and performances.
Tune in to @skysportnz @duncancampbellnz is about to drop into his seeding run in the snowboard cross!#EarnTheFern pic.twitter.com/J1PlDBjDav
— NZ Olympic Team (@nzolympics) February 15, 2018
We are known to have some of the best pipes in the world…we have been very progressive with the sport. ‘ @JaninaKuzma ‘In Wanaka it’s like Rugby in the rest of the NZ – it’s everyone does in the weekend with a ski club.’ Britt Hawes #EarnTheFern @pyeongchang2018 pic.twitter.com/gbke8oMnck
— NZ Olympic Team (@nzolympics) February 14, 2018
.@miguelporteous is taking over our Instagram story for the Opening Cermony tonight! Tune in at @nzolympics on insta.
#WatchTheSpace #EarnTheFern pic.twitter.com/50R9bVCVkU— NZ Olympic Team (@nzolympics) February 9, 2018
At its core, the work dovetails to form an athlete’s manifesto – one which they themselves helped to write – capturing just what wearing the Fern means to them.
“The Fern is far more than a just a logo or a trademark. The Fern is where courage, conviction and composure meet…the Fern is our guide…we don’t just want to wear it. We want to take it somewhere it’s never been before,” explains Sharon van Gulik, commercial director of the New Zealand Olympic Committee.
“The brief was to build an over-arching campaign for our 2018 Games that spoke to the unique audiences and athletes competing at each Games. Our Olympic Winter Games campaign kicks off the first of these, with stories from our small but dynamic New Zealand Team.”
Toby Talbot, chief creative officer at Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, adds: “It has been a real honour to partner with the New Zealand Olympic Committee and our Winter Olympians in the creation of this campaign. Each athlete’s story is unique, but what they all share is a deep pride in the Fern. The fearlessness it takes to do what they do is truly inspiring.”
In addition to the creative team from Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand, others involved in the brand platform included production outfit Frontside, Out of Home contractor APNO, director Sigi Spath and camera operator John-Jo Ritson.
The campaign also already looks set to run through to this year’s Commnwealth Games.
Commonwealth Games Netball Team selection announcement #EarnTheFernpic.twitter.com/vVDhBlEO7F
— NZ Olympic Team (@nzolympics) February 8, 2018
Comment:
This is a serious approach to leveraging the snow and ice sports of the Winter Olympics.
Indeed, the topic of danger and the athlete journey of overcoming fear and recoervy from injury has been one of the most prominent narrative themes of both rights-holder marketing, broadcaster promos and sponsor activation around the 2018 Winter Olympics.
And this campaign is no exception dovetails with that thematic trend.
Links:
NZ Olympic Committee
https://twitter.com/nzolympics
https://www.facebook.com/nzolympicteam
https://www.instagram.com/nzolympics/
https://www.youtube.com/user/nzolympics
Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand
