How good was the rugby this season? The new laws made the rucks cleaner without losing the contest for possession, and as a result we saw more quick ball, more breaks, more tries and less pointless kicking. All in all I’d say our on-field product is as good as it has ever been. From an Australian perspective we have plenty of marketable figures, from brutal forwards to angel-faced backs. This stuff should sell itself, right?
But it doesn’t. Crowd numbers are falling and TV ratings are going south as well. Rugby is struggling in the swirling ocean that is the Australian sporting marketplace. We need something to cut through. We need a decent advertising campaign.
Sadly, the ARU hasn’t produced a decent ad in years. In fact, I can’t really remember one that sticks in my head for the right reasons. Same goes for Foxtel. I am no ad guru, but I reckon I could do better than some of the tripe that has been served up. I’ll give you some examples:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwjGpEipiN0[/youtube]
Men of Gold: This was the angle Fox and the ARU were running this season, and last season as well. This ads shows ultra-slomo highlights (if you can call Gits kicking a droppie a highlight) with various slogans in yellow type. Men of Honour. Men of Pride. Men of Speed, which through some clerical blunder is showing footage of Ryan Cross. But how does that sell rugby to the masses? Is the ‘fan in the street’ supposed to be seduced by the steely qualities of the Wallabies? Either way the ratings show it didn’t work. Same goes for the iron-cast Rocky that was around this season.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8r2aJNhr4o[/youtube]
Butterflies: This is artfully done. In fact it’s an advertising masterpiece. I enjoy watching it. But at the end I want to visit the zoo, not watch a game of rugby. And it goes directly against the image of our boys as hard bastards who just want to get stuck in to whoever is wearing a black shirt — it shows our guys to be vulnerable, nervous and unconfident.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uv6hzbnj0g&feature=related[/youtube]
The Laundromat: This one is well done, but doesn’t get me going at all. There is too much time showing the players, well… doing laundry, and not enough time showing rugby.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK8EFb8QDb4[/youtube]
Razzle Dazzle: What a shocker. I challenge you not to cringe while watching it. Yeah I want to see ‘razzle dazzle’. But I don’t want to see players singing along to a showtune. In fact I hope whoever came up with the idea of making the Super 12 theme song a FUCKING SHOWTUNE is now driving cabs somewhere, and has a life ban from all rugby fixtures.
What’s the common theme? They hardly ever show the actual product — rugby. You catch some glimpses of the action, but it’s never close to being the majority of the ad. That is my main criticism.
And I know the ARU doesn’t have a massive budget, and can’t afford million dollar campaigns like Nike:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCjGinF7xoo[/youtube]
But still that is no excuse.
So I am on a mission. My off-season project is to make an ad for Australian Rugby. One that will inspire people to cancel their season tickets with whatever no-hoper Soccer/League/AFL team they support, buy a Wallaby jersey and join the Tom Carter fanpage on Facebook. An ad that will rock the sporting world to its very foundations, and reduce David Gallop to tears as he realises his life’s work has been for nothing.
But first I need some suggestions. As the Australian Rugby public, what do you want to see? Do you have an idea for a theme song or slogan? Do you want big hits, skilful tries, or something else entirely?
I will gather your suggestions, and hopefully create a visual experience you will never forget, just in time for the start of the Super season!
