The NRL ‘Instabilia’, based around July’s Holden State Of Origin series, was the world’ first real-time memorabilia auction: a unique initiative offering Australian rugby league fans a instant, live chance to own a piece of tournament memorabilia.
The items – which range from headgear, shirts, shorts, posts and kicking tees – are all encased in glass and put up for instant auction were created immediately as game-defining moments occurred on the field were placed on eBay and made available for sale (over a five day period) as the action happened.
The digital/social initiative, which kicked off as the fans prepared for July’s Holden State Of Origin Game 3, was developed with agency VML Sydney and all proceeds went to Lifeline (one of the NRL’s ‘State of Mind’ (Mental Health) partners).
‘Instabilia’ is generated in real-time at the NRL’s Mission Control room and then broadcast across the NRL’s social channels – all of which linked to the live-auction on the home page of eBay and the NRL’s charity eBay store.
Using the tagline ‘Own a piece of origin history’ and pushed through a promotional film on 13 July
and across the NRL’s social channels,
Own a piece of #Origin history & support @LifelineAust!
Bid on game-used #Instabilia here – https://t.co/qmiGVKySnW pic.twitter.com/igFYx3eBo9
— NRL (@NRL) July 18, 2016
the Instabilia campaign ran live on eBay (on http://stores.ebay.com.au/NRLStateofOrigin) until 18 July.
Some of the items available to be bid for included:
• Johnathan Thurston’s signed game-used head gear
• Cameron Smith’s game-worn mouth guard
• James Maloney’s signed kicking tee
• Darius Boyd’s signed game-worn Jersey
• Sam Thaiday’s game-worn boots
• Michael Jenning’s match-winning shorts
• Official Game-used match ball
• Sam Thaiday’s signed locker room name-plate
‘It’s a natural instinct during any live sporting event to take to social media at the game’s pivotal moments,’ explains Matt Geersen, Associate Creative Director at VML, Sydney:
‘Instabilia creates an opportunity for us to extend the conversation and create a platform that allows the games biggest moments to live on beyond the siren.’
‘It’s a huge undertaking and exercise in collaboration with the NRL, QLD and NSW teams, the players, VML and eBay, all facilitated through NRL’s social media control room where designers, copywriters, editors and motion graphics artists are creating and publishing ‘Instabilia’ pieces with auction videos just minutes after the moments happen,’ adds VML Sydney managing director and executive creative director Aden Hepburn.
‘Never before have fans had the ability to bid on game-used items in real-time, let alone during the most watched television event in Australia. We’re always looking for exciting ways that we can get our fans closer to the game via social media and it doesn’t get much better than giving them a chance to own Origin history in real-time,’ comments NRL social media head Matt Henry.
Comment
This is innovative, engaging and presses several contemporary activation trend buttons (not least ‘real-time’ and ‘social second screen’) and also seems like a sensible fit to the property.
After all, in the last year NRL fans have spent more than $8m on merchandise purchased on eBay.
Links
NRL Web:
NRL Facebook:
NRL Twitter:
NRL Instagram:
@NRL
EBay Auction:
http://stores.ebay.com.au/nrlstateoforigin
VML, Sydney
