Rugby Advertising

[barbarian]

Just put up a post on the blog about this.

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/rugby-advertising-101/

Basically it has been shithouse for years. Has never inspired me to buy tickets or generally get off my arse to support the game.

So I am making my own ad. Or even a series. But I need some help with what to put in.

Any ideas?

I reckon a montage of big hits and cool skills, all set to a rocking track. But the ARU seems to disagree. Apparently 'men of honour' really get the fans salivating.

 

[RugbyReg]

The "I wanna be a Wallaby" was the best they've ever done. That catch phrase still gets uttered by my generation.

I loved the still photos of Eales as the spider, Gregan the cheetah and Burkie the hawke.

I actually liked this Reds ad last year:

[video=youtube;rmZsdiVI-qE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmZsdiVI-qE[/video]

and this one (if it is a tv ad, rather than a youtube promo) rocks my world:

[video=youtube;5I6TZ5Z89D8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I6TZ5Z89D8[/video]

Before the AFL did if, I always though an ad comparing the skills of various sports. A basketball alley-oop with perfect lineout throw and tap off the top. Sumo v scrums. AFL marks v upper and under takes. a golf shot or soccer penalty v a perfect goal kick from the sideline. sprinting v a break away try. a slips catch v a reflex intercept (Genie v Blues this year). etc.

I'll have to dig up an article I did for the blog last year, berating the ads the ARU did as well.

 

[RugbyReg]

that was easy.

Here you go:

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/men-of-gold-latest-wallaby-ad-by-the-aru/

there's some good suggestions at the bottom.

 

[barbarian]

That second one is exactly what I want, except obviously shorter. The 'we are red' one is good too, reckon you could combine the two pretty easily.

The only one that has really stuck in my head is from around 1998 for the Super 12 with the song 'You ain't seen nothing yet'. Used to play it at the grounds, was a great song well used. When was the last time we had a rocking 'theme song' to a season? There are probably rights issues, but still.

 

[RugbyReg]

in the end you just need great action. For some reason the ARU have never been able to tie that down. This year they just need to include the stuff KB (Kurtley Beale) and JOC (James O'Connor) did, with a little Quade, Drew, Sanchez, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Burgo in there. Then some of the heavier action from the pack, a few Rocky runs (the Fiji leapfrog), some Sharpie tackles, fat cat's hit on Parra, Pocock barging.

 

[RugbyFuture]

6 nations invictus one was good

 

[Gagger]

in the end you just need great action. For some reason the ARU have never been able to tie that down. This year they just need to include the stuff KB (Kurtley Beale) and JOC (James O'Connor) did, with a little Quade, Drew, Sanchez, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Burgo in there. Then some of the heavier action from the pack, a few Rocky runs (the Fiji leapfrog), some Sharpie tackles, fat cat's hit on Parra, Pocock barging.

....Quade bitchslapping Richie.....

 

[matty_k]

....Quade bitchslapping Richie.....

To the dulcet tones of Prodigy's Smack My Bitch Up.

 

[Moses]

I reckon there's got to be a lineout in there somewhere, the average league player would see that and realise it's a different game.

To the dulcet tones of Prodigy's Smack My Bitch Up.

That's got a great film clip already...

 

[dobduff11]

Rugby advertising at its greatest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQHWw9WByh8

funny advert http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRsFv4AdrBg

Good idea http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB_vQ53Jcl0&feature=related

 

[Langthorne]

....Quade bitchslapping Richie.....

really?! you'd put that in an ad? QC (Quade Cooper) acting like a tool. I guess it might attract the mungo crowd.

 

[Gagger]

It’s before mid-day, but I’ve slugged back a coupla large Canadian Clubs to channel Don Draper and here’s what I got.

Action we all like, but on it’s own what does it say to the viewer above a highlights package?

Idea 1
What do Rugby supporters love about this game which is fast becoming a strong differentiator? The lack of dog-worrying, gang-banging, drug taking dickheads in certain other codes is what.
Play on this by showing clips of our down-to-earth players just mucking around and being likeable normal blokes (like Brumbies Adidas rip-off) interspliced with incredible action.
See AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) joking with the overhead kicks, now BOOYA see him cut the frogs open like a C-section

Idea 2
What do we have the Mungos don’t? A proper fucking World Cup. Not one put on when they can round up enough stragglers
So, milk the yesteryear glory for all its worth leading up to this years RWC. Old footage with new footage.
Can this crop of Wallabies do it?
Are they the only ones who can stop the evil kiwis?
Work the underdog angle, but remind them we’re #2. Pump the patriotism until there are riots in Bondi.

 

[dobduff11]

Gagger on idea two I suppose you could, play footage of try's and important kicks from around 99 to 2001 and then play similar epic try's and important kicks.

John Eales or Morty's kicks against the AB's and JOC (James O'Connor)'s in hk.

Horans break WC 99 v south africa and then beales break agains RSA earlier this year,

That sort of thing

Another one would be roffs inside break against RSA in wc99 and digbys break against enggland for Gits' try

 

[Hugh Jarse]

This is how to advertise Rugby. Take the piss out of Sookball.[video=youtube;sVGtB9j7QCg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVGtB9j7QCg[/video]

I am sure that it wouldn't take much to come up with similar pisstakes for mungoball, pingpong,and gridiron.

 

[stoff]

When was the last time we had a rocking 'theme song' to a season? There are probably rights issues, but still.

The AFL does it with Shipping up to Boston by Dropckick Murphys. Its in the ad with them playing all the other sports, and then the song is played leading up to the first bounce. That was a smart campaign IMO. It used a song which had some recognition to people as it was the title song from the movie The Departed, but not too much recognition. They also had a pretty good campaign with their 150 years of football back in 2008 with Bill Hunter doing the voice overs on an ad which from memory was a bit of a pisstake on the evolution of that sport. Somebody at the ARU should find out which agency the AFL uses and at least get them to pitch some ideas.

 

[rugbysmartarse]

from the blog comments, thought I'd double up here

OK, here’s my pitch:

open on NFJ lifting the RWC in 91, then to Eales doing it in 99. some cut shots of Full stadiums like twickers or Millenium. run the tag line “it’s our time”

Action sequences of JOC (James O'Connor) and/or KB (Kurtley Beale) stepping through the line, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) big fend, a couple of big hits (note no scrum shots – the punters still dont get it) – key step is ARU must buy a real song, not commission some session musos to slap something together.

Then voice over “and it all starts here” and throw to shots of the Super 14 – must have 1 from each province – QC (Quade Cooper)’s backhanded pass v Highlanders, a bit of KB (Kurtley Beale) chip n chase magic, maybe some big hits from the force or brumbies games.

Final tagline – “The Rugby World Cup – its our time” voiced over a shot of the wallabies, arms crossed looking steely

Then end screen can be switched throughout campaign to either advertise S14 games locally, then 3N games either live or broadcast times on Fox, then RWC games. Could pick up extra revenue by leasing end space to Rugby tour groups and Foxtel.

 

[RugbyReg]

the Kacey chambers version of True Colours they got for the 2003 RWC I thought was ok. Not heart pumping, but great emotion.

I only say it because perhaps they still have rights to it:

[video=youtube;IZkaE7SvVa8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZkaE7SvVa8[/video]

other than I am all for stuff like Vanessa Amarosi's Shine and Nollsy's Get up or whatever. Not my type of music, but cheap and effective.

 

[Lance Free]

What does rugby have that the mungoes don't? The fuckin OLYMPICS!

 

[Ruggo]

Great thread Barbarian.

Music - I still call Australia home, Peter Allan (also coincides with major sponsor Qantas and is regarded as very patriotic) The strength of rugby is that it is the only winter sport to offer a true international program. The Wallabies need to be promoted as the team for all Australians and a symbol of national pride. (Winters version of the baggy green)

TNT - AC/DC (for add # 1)


Three seperate adds would be required to promote rugby as a whole.

1/ Mix of Wallaby action too the backgoround of shit hot rock music to get people through the gate.

2/ Get some footage of former and current Wallabies in their mini/mod days playing rugby and mix it in with their playing for the Wallabies. The message aimed to be even the greatest players started at the bottom and any kid can aspire to be a Wallaby. The other message being that rugby is a game that can take you places. Add to increase interest in participation of rugby.

3/ Add portraying rugby as a very safe contact sport to play, capable of teaching great team values in a safe and controlled environment. This add is to target parents that want to get their kids into sport but tend to wrap their kids up in cotton wool. (soccer mums basically)

 

[cheezel]

You've awoken the beast within me barbarian. I can't stop looking at other sporting ads and thinking about this.

I suggest doing fairly "artsy" approach. Slo-mo footage similar to the cuts at the Australian Open tennis
[video=youtube;dvkoWII-ukg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvkoWII-ukg[/video]

Examples of some of the shots
• Impact of the scrum. Steam coming off and the hit showing in their faces
• The ball floating through the air to be plucked from the air by a mystery hand. Pan out to reveal kurtley
• A pair of forwards gang tackling a poor fool showing his miserable face as he gets hammered to the ground
• Ashley Cooper fending some goose in the face
• Genia spiralling the ball from a ruck towards the camera
• Sharpey claiming a contested lineout
• A forward clearing out some cheating opposition who are flopping all over the ruck
• JOC (James O'Connor)/Mitchell in full flight down the touchline
• The ball being grounded and panning out to reveal a try has been scored

Tagline something similar to (sorry I'm not a writer)
"Every second counts" "It's the small moments that make the big"
Something about about each second leading up to the try/world cup is important

You could have one big ad featuring all of the moments on youtube, cinema ads, rugby club. And smaller cuts (15-30 sec) of just one or two of the moments in ad breaks.