Woolworths, which is in its third year as a supporter of the AFL, celebrates the partnership and the new season with a multi-platform activation called ‘Feeding Your Hunger For Footy’.
The new sponsorship campaign, developed in harness with agency M&C Saatchi Sydney, debuted during the first round of matches in the new 2017 season and through the weekend of the Women’s AFL Grand Final (23 – 26 March).
The official supermarket and fresh food partner of the AFL aims to ensure that the fans themselves are the core of the new campaign: engaging them by celebrating the rituals of Friday Night Footy and via the game’s unique language and humour.
The initiative is fronted by a spearhead TV commercial, which, following its television on-air debut was posted to the brand’s YouTube channel on 26 March.
The 30-second spot’s rhyming couplet commentary is by veteran AFL broadcaster Denis Cometti and the ad itself features Women’s AFL players Katie Brennan, Darcy Vescio and Nicola Stevens, and male stars Jake Sidebottom, Tom Hawkins and Josh Kennedy.
The commercial is airing on Channel 7 AFL telecasts and is complemented by OOH executions, radio spots, digital content, in-store and point-of-sale work, digital discovery and social media assets.
That moment you realise AFL is back! Who's hungry for footy? #OpeningRound #AFLBluesTigers pic.twitter.com/2Dpm2e5RMR
— Woolworths (@woolworths) March 23, 2017
The brand also has on-the-ground presence at games through the season at the ‘Woolworths Playgrounds’ – branded spaces built across various grounds in Melbourne.
‘We know that watching the footy on a Friday night with friends and family at home is a favourite pastime for many of our customers,’ explains Woolworths marketing director Andrew Hicks.
‘Through this campaign we aim to share their passion for the game, and celebrate how Australians come together over food to cheer their favourite team on.’
While M&C Saatchi creative partner Tom McFarlane adds: ‘AFL fans have been starved of footy action. Timed to coincide with the men’s opening rounds and the inaugural Women’s grand final, Woolworths are going to make sure they don’t go hungry for a minute longer with this fun campaign.’
The campaign was developed for the Woolworths marketing team – led by Andrew Hicks (Director of Marketing Supermarkets), Nick Chapman (General Manager of Marketing Communication & Brand), Peter O’Sullivan (Head of Public Relations, Community and Sponsorships), Elizabeth McCall (Marketing Communications Manager), Jess Syam (Marketing Communications Specialist), Aysha Downs (Marketing Manager, Sponsorship) and Rommel Fernando (Assistant Sponsorship Manager) – by a joint team from M&C Saatchi and sister agency M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment.
The former was led by creative partner Tom McFarlane, creative director Michael Andrews, senior copywriter Ben Stainley, art director Nathan Moore, copywriter Mark Wilkinson, strategist Sophie Ayles, executive producer Rod James, design director Dean Hastie, designer Rochus Dahnken, digital producer Luke Renton and print producer Sarah Webb.
Whilee the later unit was spearheaded by managing director Jamie Gilbert-Smith, account director Tom Mort and account manager Katie Leslie.
Production was handled by Renegade Films, the executive producer was Joe Connor, the director was Paul Goldman and the editor was Michael Houlahan, while post production was run by Vandal, the media agency was Carat and the activation partner was MKTG.
Activative Comment:
With sponsor marketing like this boosting awareness and engagement alongside the new season promotions from the league itself (see case study) and for the Women’s AFL (see case study) the AFL and its sponsors all looks set for a successful season.
Particularly if the AFL crowds for the first round (23 – 26 March) are anything to go by.
The league beat its record single round attendance right out of the gate: the first eight games of the season attracted an impressive 365,753 fans.
With the MCG in Melbourne boasting the biggest crowds: 78,294 for Essendon-Hawthorn on Saturday night and 73,137 on opening night last Thursday for Richmond-Carlton.
Plus, it seems like a sensible tactic to activate around the Women’s AFL Grand Final too.
After all, a further indication of the continued rise of women’s sport in Australia came when the AFL Women’s Grand Final crowd was bigger than those at the two AFL men’s games played over the same weekend.
Despite the Adelaide v Brisbane final being played at Metricon Stadium (on Queensland’s Gold Coast), an impressive 15,610 fans took advantage of the free entry and free transport options – beating the
Links:
Woolworths
https://www.woolworths.com.au/
https://www.youtube.com/user/WoolworthsAu
https://www.instagram.com/woolworths_au/
https://uk.pinterest.com/woolworths/
https://www.facebook.com/woolworths/
https://twitter.com/woolworths
M&C Saatchi, Sydney.
M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment
http://sportandentertainment.mcsaatchi.com/
AFL
https://www.instagram.com/aflwomens/
https://www.youtube.com/user/BigPondAFL
http://australianfootballleague.tumblr.com/
